Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant at Sunset

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant near Red Wing, Minnesota, stands on the Mississippi River with its two reinforced concrete containment buildings rising above the tree line. Operated by Xcel Energy, the station contains two pressurized-water reactors that entered commercial service in the early 1970s and supply electricity to the regional grid. The containment domes house the reactor systems and are a central safety feature of the plant’s design. The facility is adjacent to the Prairie Island Indian Community, a location that has figured prominently in debates over nuclear safety, on-site spent-fuel storage, and Minnesota energy policy.

Photo taken in July 2022.