Nichols
Natural gas power plant in Potter County, Texas. 474.7 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by Southwestern Public Service Co.
Also known as Nichols Generating Station · EIA plant 3484
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 474.7 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- January 1960First generator online
- Operator
- Southwestern Public Service CoEIA operator ID 17718
- Grid
- SPPBalancing authority SWPP
- Price nodes
- 3 SPP nodesResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Potter County, TX35.2834, −101.7464
- EIA plant ID
- 3484EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Nichols produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
1.67 TWh
1,665,814 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
40.1%
2024: 41.5%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
0.4–1.7
TWh a year. Low 2017, high 2024
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 993,701 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 1,077,032 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 805,424 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 975,676 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 1,072,081 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 1,346,066 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 1,221,340 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 1,282,665 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 1,085,452 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 850,115 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 889,271 | 21.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 1,016,021 | 24.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 1,175,274 | 28.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 761,357 | 18.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 476,760 | 11.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 419,405 | 10.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 449,404 | 10.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 396,830 | 9.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 869,806 | 20.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 1,164,272 | 28.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 1,252,043 | 30.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 582,238 | 14.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 713,298 | 17.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 1,210,652 | 29.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 1,728,508 | 41.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 1,665,814 | 40.1% | 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 · SPPEmissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
1.08M
US short tons. 2024: 1.12M
SO₂, 2025
5
US short tons
NOx, 2025
1,048
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.65 t
About 1,296 lb per MWh
3 of 3 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (141B, 142B, 143B), matched to EIA plant 3484 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
1,147
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
1,147
million gallons
Source
Municipal
Discharge, Reclaimed. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
Low · 0.270
USGS SUI, HUC12 Stalanaker Lake-Indian Creek
12 of 12 cooling months report withdrawal. Reclaimed water or plant effluent; not tested. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 113.6 | January 1960 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 113.6 | January 1962 |
| 3 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 247.5 | January 1968 |
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 Southwestern Public Service 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 Nichols
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Questions about Nichols
How much power does Nichols produce?
Nichols reported 1,665,814 MWh (1.67 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 40.1% capacity factor on 474.7 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Nichols?
Nichols is in Potter County, Texas, at 35.2834, −101.7464. It is in the Southwest Power Pool balancing area (SWPP).
Who operates Nichols?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Southwestern Public Service Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 17718). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Nichols start operating?
Its first generator began operating in January 1960, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Nichols?
Yes. InfraMap has SPP day-ahead and real-time prices at 3 price nodes linked to Nichols, 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
- SPP 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