Power Plants

Industrial landmarks documenting the evolution and impact of energy production across regions

Photography from a range of power plants across the United States and Belgium reveals diverse eras and technologies in energy production. From the neon-lit Owatonna plant in Minnesota to the towering hyperboloid cooling towers in Charleroi, Belgium, these images document industrial architecture and its transformation or decline. The collection includes active facilities like Louisiana’s natural gas-fired Ninemile 6 plant and Wisconsin’s Fox Energy Center, as well as decommissioned sites such as the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant and the Southeast Steam Plant in Minneapolis, underscoring the evolving landscape of energy infrastructure.

Power plant surrounded by trees — *July 4, 2022* — The former Northern States Power steam plant stands along the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minnesota, with its twin smokestacks and NSP lettering still visible above the main generating building. Built in the mid-20th century as a coal-fired power station, the plant supplied electricity to the regional grid and was connected to riverfront fuel handling by the enclosed conveyor structure extending toward the water. The site also includes a substation and rail access, underscoring its role in fuel delivery and power transmission within Red Wing’s industrial river corridor.

NSP Power Plant Landmark, Red Wing, Minnesota — *July 4, 2022* — The illuminated NSP rooftop sign and smokestacks of the former Northern States Power generating station stand on Red Wing’s Mississippi River waterfront in Red Wing, Minnesota. The plant was built as part of the riverfront industrial corridor that also included rail service and bulk shipping facilities, with the river providing water for power-plant operations. Northern States Power later became part of Xcel Energy, and the surviving sign identifies a facility associated with the company’s long presence in southeastern Minnesota.

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant at Sunset — *July 3, 2022* — 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.

Boats in front of large nuclear power plant — *July 3, 2022* — Boaters travel north on the Mississippi River near Red Wing, Minnesota, with the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant on the far bank at dusk. The plant, located upriver from downtown Red Wing, is a two-reactor nuclear power station operated on Prairie Island along the Mississippi. The boats were on the river during the Independence Day holiday period in early July 2022, when traffic on this stretch of the river increases for evening recreation and nearby fireworks displays.

The Fox Energy Center, a natural gas power plant near Kaukauna, Wisconsin, generates electricity for Wisconsin Public Service. — *December 26, 2019* — The Fox Energy Center near Kaukauna, Wisconsin, is a natural gas-fired generating station operated by Wisconsin Public Service. The plant is shown from adjacent agricultural land, with its large cooling structure and support buildings forming the main visible components of the facility. Fox Energy Center is part of the regional electric system in northeastern Wisconsin, supplying dispatchable generation that can be brought online to meet demand and support grid reliability.

The Kaukauna City Hydro Plant, operated by Kaukauna Utilities, is located on the Fox River in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. The facility generates renewable hydroelectric power for the community. — *December 26, 2019* — Kaukauna Utilities' Kaukauna City Hydro Plant stands on Thilmany Road along the Fox River in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. The municipal generating station is part of the city's public utility system and uses the river's flow to produce hydroelectric power for local distribution. Warning signage at the fenced riverfront site notes rapidly changing water levels, a standard operational hazard at hydroelectric facilities where water flow is controlled for generation.

Entergy Ninemile 6 power plant beside a bike trail in Westwego, Louisiana, at dusk — *December 8, 2019* — Entergy Corporation's Ninemile 6 power plant, a 560-megawatt natural gas-fired unit located in Westwego, Louisiana, began operation in December 2014. The construction of this facility, which supplies electricity to the greater New Orleans area, cost $655 million. The plant is situated near a levee wall and a bike trail, highlighting its integration into the local infrastructure and environment.

University of Minnesota’s Southeast Steam Plant 2019 — *September 22, 2019* — The University of Minnesota’s Southeast Steam Plant sits along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, supplying heat and power to the campus and nearby medical facilities. Its red-brick structures and tall orange exhaust stacks stand below the university’s historic engineering buildings.

*September 22, 2019* — The University of Minnesota Southeast Steam Plant stands on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, adjacent to the St. Anthony Falls hydroelectric facilities near the university’s East Bank campus. Identified by its four tall smokestacks, the plant supplies district steam and other utility services for the university and is part of the institutional infrastructure concentrated along the riverfront. Originally developed as a coal-fired heating plant, the facility was later converted to burn natural gas while remaining in operation as a major campus energy source.

The Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant in Wisconsin, featuring a distinctive containment building with turquoise accents, ceased operations in 2013 and is undergoing decommissioning. — *July 21, 2019* — The Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant, located in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, features a distinctive containment building with vertical turquoise accents. This facility, which began commercial operation in 1978, ceased generating electricity in 2013. The plant is currently undergoing a 50-year decommissioning process, a complex undertaking involving the safe dismantling of the nuclear reactor and site restoration. Its proximity to Lake Michigan was crucial for its cooling systems.

The Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant, located on Lake Michigan in Carlton, Wisconsin, ceased operations in 2013. — *July 21, 2019* — Kewaunee Power Station in the Town of Carlton, Wisconsin, stands on the Lake Michigan shoreline southeast of Green Bay. The single-reactor nuclear generating station began commercial operation in 1974 and was the fourth nuclear power plant built in Wisconsin. Dominion Energy permanently shut down the plant on May 7, 2013, citing unfavorable market conditions, including low wholesale electricity prices linked to inexpensive natural gas. By 2019, the reactor and auxiliary buildings remained in place on the 900-acre site as the facility continued through decommissioning.

The Monceau-sur-Sambre cooling tower in Charleroi, Belgium, stands as a relic of the region's industrial past. — *September 28, 2017* — The Monceau-sur-Sambre cooling tower in Charleroi, Belgium, is a 118-meter reinforced-concrete hyperboloid built in the 1960s for the nearby power station. Its flared shell and vertical ribbing were designed to cool large volumes of circulating water used by the generating plant. The associated coal-fired station was taken out of service in the early 2000s, leaving the tower as one of the most prominent surviving industrial structures in the Charleroi area.

The base of a cooling tower at the former Monceau-sur-Sambre power plant in Charleroi, Belgium, is overgrown with vegetation. — *September 28, 2017* — The base of a cooling tower at the former Monceau-sur-Sambre power plant in Charleroi, Belgium, stands amid dense vegetation on the abandoned industrial site. The tower was part of a coal-fired generating station in the Charleroi basin, one of Belgium’s major heavy-industry regions. By 2017, when this view was made, the plant had been closed and the remaining structures formed part of the post-industrial landscape left after the decline of coal-fired power generation in the area.

The Hamm's Brewery Power Plant in St. Paul, MN, provided energy for brewing operations and remains a testament to the city's industrial history. — *July 20, 2017* — The Hamm's Brewery Power Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, was constructed to support the brewing operations of the Theodore Hamm's Brewing Company, founded in 1865. As the brewery grew to become the fifth largest in the United States, its infrastructure, including this power plant, was essential for its expansion and production. The plant provided the necessary energy to operate the brewing machinery and maintain the cold storage required for beer production. Although the brewery ceased operations in 1997, the power plant remains as a testament to the industrial history of St. Paul and the significant role Hamm's played in the American brewing industry.

The Owatonna Power Plant in Owatonna, Minnesota, is illuminated by a neon sign at dusk. The brick building features three smokestacks and has historical significance for local industrial history. — *May 1, 2016* — The Owatonna Power Plant in Owatonna, Minnesota, stands along the Straight River with its rooftop neon sign and three smokestacks visible above the brick industrial building. The plant was built to supply electric power for the city, and the surviving sign identifies a municipal utility site that remains a prominent industrial landmark in Owatonna. The structure’s masonry construction and stack arrangement are characteristic of an early 20th-century power station adapted over time for continued utility use.

The Xcel Energy District Energy Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, provides steam for downtown buildings and is a vital part of the city's energy infrastructure. — *June 29, 2015* — The Xcel Energy District Energy Plant in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, stands along Shepard Road near the Mississippi River. The facility is part of St. Paul’s district energy system, which distributes steam and chilled water to connected buildings in the central business district rather than relying on separate on-site heating and cooling plants. The image shows the plant’s stack, cooling equipment, and rail corridor at the riverfront edge of downtown, with the Lafayette Bridge visible in the background.

The Southeast Steam Plant smokestacks in Minneapolis, a former coal-fired power plant, stand against autumn trees. — *October 17, 2014* — The Southeast Steam Plant on 6th Street SE in Minneapolis rises behind a fenced industrial yard near the Mississippi riverfront. Built in the early 20th century as a coal-fired generating station, the plant supplied electricity and steam heat and remained part of the city’s utility system for decades. Its tall smokestacks and heavy industrial structures mark one of the surviving power-generation sites in the former milling and manufacturing district along the river.

Power Plants

Photographs showcasing change over time