Toronto Power Plant

MRES is evaluating the feasibility of building a relatively small, 145-MW natural gas plant near Toronto, South Dakota. This facility would help support the delivery of reliable, cost-effective and long-term energy to meet the evolving needs of electric consumers across the region.

Electricity demand in the region is expected to grow by more than 40% by 2030, driven by population growth, industrial expansion, and increased electrification. The Toronto Power Plant will provide the generation capacity to help meet that rising demand, including in MRES municipal electric communities such as Flandreau, Brookings, Watertown, and Big Stone City in South Dakota, as well as Marshall and Ortonville in Minnesota.

As coal plants are gradually retired and more renewable energy generation is added to the energy mix, the Toronto Power Plant will also provide a fast power ramp-up to help maintain reliability during times when renewable energy such as wind and solar may not be available to meet demand.

Project Details

PROPOSED PROJECT COMPONENTS:

  • Four combustion turbine-generator sets
  • 4.9 mile 345 kV transmission line
  • Natural gas pipeline connection
  • Substation interconnection in the regional energy market

Project Benefits

PROJECT BENEFITS:

  • Adds 145 megawatts of dispatchable natural gas generation to support the regional power grid.
  • Provides a quick-start backup power source to balance the gaps in supply and demand caused by wind and solar.
  • Helps keep the grid stable, especially during extreme weather.
  • The project will bring local tax revenue and create jobs during construction and ongoing operations.

Developing and constructing a power plant is a multi-year effort. We'll continue to work closely with landowners, local governments, agencies, and other stakeholders throughout the project development.

Current Status

CURRENT STATUS:

  • April 7, 2026: The Deuel County Commissioners voted to approve rezoning the property site to industrial.

Past Events

  • February 26, 2026: MRES hosts a meeting with impacted area landowners.
  • September 24, 2025: The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission holds a public input meeting in Toronto, South Dakota.
  • August 7, 2025: We submitted our Facility Permit application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (SD PUC) on August 7, 2025.
  • November 18, 2024: The Local Review Committee (LRC) and the First District Association of Local Governments hosted an informational meeting to review the findings of the Social and Economic Effect/Impact Study for the proposed Toronto Power Plant. The study, conducted by the First District Association of Local Governments, examined the potential impacts of the plant on the local community. MRES also shared project updates, and the public was invited to attend.
  • June 11, 2024: MRES held a public open house to discuss the project with the community.
  • June 2024: Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (WMMPA) filed a Notification of Intent (NOI) with the SD PUC to apply for a permit to construct an energy conversion facility, which is the proposed Toronto Power Plant. WMMPA finances the construction and acquisition of the generation and transmission facilities for MRES.

SD PUC Docket

The Toronto Power Plant application and other documents in the docket may be accessed on the PUC’s website at https://puc.sd.gov/Dockets/Electric/2025/EL25-028.aspx.

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Toronto Power Plant, connect with our team by email at connect@torontopowerplant.com, or call us at 605-977-7775.


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