Coal Creek Station was engineered to produce 13 million pounds of steam per hour. The steam is heated to 1005 degrees Fahrenheit and then sent through two turbine units under 2,260 psi to produce 1,100 megawatts of electricity. Once the electricity is produced, it is transmitted along a 432-mile line east to Minnesota, where it is distributed to 29 member co-ops. (It is cheaper to transport electricity than haul coal.) The coal comes from the Falkirk Mine, which is located next to the plant. The mine contains about 652 million tons of lignite coal - that's enough for more than 100 years of powerplant operation! Each year, Coal Creek Station burns about 8 million tons of lignite coal.

Learn more about the Coal Creek Generating Station.