E C Gaston
Natural gas and coal power plant in Shelby County, Alabama. 2,034 MW of nameplate capacity across 6 generators, operated by Alabama Power Co.
Also known as Earnest C Gaston Steam Plant · E.C. Gaston · EC Gaston · EIA plant 26
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 2,034 MWNatural gas 1,060.8 · Coal 952.0 · Oil 21.2
- Generators
- 6 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- May 1960First generator online
- Operator
- Alabama Power CoEIA operator ID 195
- Grid
- SOCOBalancing authority SOCO
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Shelby County, AL33.2442, −86.4581
- EIA plant ID
- 26EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power E C Gaston produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
3.81 TWh
3,808,595 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
21.4%
2024: 18.4%
January to July 2026
1.91 TWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
3.3–6.6
TWh a year. Low 2024, high 2015
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12,623,222 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 12,528,720 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 12,663,329 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 10,754,282 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2004 | 12,330,640 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 11,273,347 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 11,389,703 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2008 | 11,411,360 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 8,033,763 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 9,593,170 | 53.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 11,284,034 | 63.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 8,135,033 | 45.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 7,011,767 | 39.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 744,883 | 49.2% | 1 of 12 |
| 2015 | 6,578,898 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 69,773 | Not reported | 1 of 12 |
| 2017 | 4,916,601 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 6,087,254 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 5,688,930 | 31.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 3,796,945 | 21.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 4,335,978 | 24.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 4,044,923 | 22.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 3,399,765 | 19.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 3,281,099 | 18.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 3,808,595 | 21.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 1,912,001 | 18.5% | 7 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 accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
3.55M
US short tons. 2024: 3.14M
SO₂, 2025
940
US short tons
NOx, 2025
2,178
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.93 t
About 1,867 lb per MWh
5 of 5 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), matched to EIA plant 26 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
440,323
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
2,004
million gallons
Source
Coosa River
Surface, Fresh. Once-through
Watershed stress
Very low/none · 0.145
USGS SUI, HUC12 Hay Spring Branch-Coosa River
24 of 24 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 | 272.0 | May 1960 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 272.0 | July 1960 |
| 3 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 272.0 | June 1961 |
| 5 | Conventional Steam Coal | 952.0 | August 1974 |
| GT4 | Petroleum Liquids | 21.2 | June 1970 |
| ST4 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 244.8 | June 1962 |
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 Alabama 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 E C Gaston
More plants operated by Alabama Power Co
Questions about E C Gaston
How much power does E C Gaston produce?
E C Gaston reported 3,808,595 MWh (3.81 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 21.4% capacity factor on 2,034 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 1.91 TWh, which is provisional.
Where is E C Gaston?
E C Gaston is in Shelby County, Alabama, at 33.2442, −86.4581. It is in the Southern Company Services, Inc. - Trans balancing area (SOCO).
Who operates E C Gaston?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Alabama Power Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 195). The operator is not always the owner.
Is E C Gaston a natural gas or a coal plant?
Both. Natural gas capacity totals 1,060.8 MW and coal capacity totals 952 MW, with 21.2 MW of oil.
When did E C Gaston start operating?
Its first generator began operating in May 1960, according to EIA-860M.
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
- 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