Big Sandy
Natural gas power plant in Lawrence County, Kentucky. 280.5 MW of nameplate capacity across 1 generator, operated by Kentucky Power Co.
Also known as Big Sandy Plant · EIA plant 1353
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 280.5 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 1 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- January 1963First generator online
- Operator
- Kentucky Power CoEIA operator ID 22053
- Grid
- PJMBalancing authority PJM
- Price nodes
- 1 PJM nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Lawrence County, KY38.1707, −82.6176
- EIA plant ID
- 1353EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Big Sandy produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
1.21 TWh
1,206,248 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
49.1%
2024: 44.7%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
0.5–3.1
TWh a year. Low 2022, high 2015
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7,119,440 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 7,498,304 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 5,752,379 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 6,170,931 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 6,550,509 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 7,345,624 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 7,171,505 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 7,532,665 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 6,021,182 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 6,262,165 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 6,552,258 | 68.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 6,372,925 | 66.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 2,661,344 | 27.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 2,747,713 | 31.3% | 11 of 12 |
| 2014 | 4,708,473 | 49.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 3,132,143 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 530,196 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 50,911 | 24.4% | 1 of 12 |
| 2018 | 624,804 | 25.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 1,062,894 | 43.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 912,638 | 37.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 550,541 | 22.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 509,951 | 20.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 1,172,392 | 47.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 1,101,669 | 44.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 1,206,248 | 49.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free account · PJMEmissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
731,464
US short tons. 2024: 657,216
SO₂, 2025
32
US short tons
NOx, 2025
1,023
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.61 t
About 1,213 lb per MWh
1 of 1 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (BSU1, BSU2), matched to EIA plant 1353 through the EPA–EIA crosswalk. The per-MWh rate is EPA CO₂ divided by EIA-923 net generation. The two reporting boundaries can differ.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSWithdrawal, 2024
463
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
411
million gallons
Source
Big Sandy River
Surface, Fresh. Natural-draft tower
Watershed stress
Very low/none · 0.146
USGS SUI, HUC12 Tabor Creek-Big Sandy River
12 of 12 cooling months report withdrawal. SUI of the source river HUC12 within 3 km. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 280.5 | January 1963 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Kentucky Power Co as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
Generation potential vs reported
Monthly potential at seasonal net capability, next to EIA-923 output. Shows how much of the plant's capability was used.
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Power plants near Big Sandy
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Questions about Big Sandy
How much power does Big Sandy produce?
Big Sandy reported 1,206,248 MWh (1.21 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 49.1% capacity factor on 280.5 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Big Sandy?
Big Sandy is in Lawrence County, Kentucky, at 38.1707, −82.6176. It is in the PJM Interconnection, LLC balancing area (PJM).
Who operates Big Sandy?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Kentucky Power Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 22053). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Big Sandy start operating?
Its first generator began operating in January 1963, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Big Sandy?
Yes. InfraMap has PJM day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Big Sandy, with the hub price and node-to-hub basis. Prices are free with an InfraMap account; pricing node names are part of InfraMap Pro.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- EPA CAMPD annual emissions through the EPA–EIA crosswalk, 1995 to 2025
- PJM day-ahead and real-time prices; node and hub assignments as of 2026-10-05
- EIA-923 cooling water 2024 and the USGS surface water supply and use index, Water years 2010-2020 (Oct 2009 to Sep 2020), mean of monthly values
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page