Big Sandy
Lawrence County, Kentucky · EIA plant ID 1353 · Operator: Kentucky Power Co
Nameplate281MWSummer 260 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation1,206GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor53%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate10,255Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1963Runs as baseload
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), gas/coal/oil units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7,498.3 | 80.8% | 9,559 |
| 2002 | 5,752.4 | 62.0% | 9,539 |
| 2003 | 6,170.9 | 66.5% | 9,686 |
| 2004 | 6,550.5 | 70.3% | 9,648 |
| 2005 | 7,345.6 | 79.1% | 9,601 |
| 2006 | 7,171.5 | 77.2% | 9,682 |
| 2007 | 7,532.7 | 81.1% | 9,675 |
| 2008 | 6,021.2 | 64.7% | 9,771 |
| 2009 | 6,262.2 | 67.4% | 9,680 |
| 2010 | 6,552.3 | 70.6% | 9,605 |
| 2011 | 6,372.9 | 68.6% | 9,715 |
| 2012 | 2,661.3 | 28.6% | 10,200 |
| 2013 | 2,747.7 | 29.6% | 9,902 |
| 2014 | 4,708.5 | 50.7% | 9,513 |
| 2015 | 3,132.1 | 68.4% | 9,414 |
| 2016 | 530.2 | 23.2% | 10,065 |
| 2017 | 563.7 | 24.8% | 10,266 |
| 2018 | 624.8 | 27.4% | 10,056 |
| 2019 | 1,062.9 | 46.7% | 9,976 |
| 2020 | 912.6 | 40.0% | 9,908 |
| 2021 | 550.5 | 24.2% | 10,297 |
| 2022 | 510 | 22.4% | 10,307 |
| 2023 | 1,172.4 | 51.5% | 10,169 |
| 2024 | 1,101.7 | 48.2% | 9,955 |
| 2025 | 1,206.2 | 53.0% | 10,255 |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | ST | 280.5 | 260 | Jan 1963 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | ST | 816.3 | 800 | Oct 1969 | Retired May 2015 | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Kentucky Power Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Kentucky Power Co | 100.0% | 281 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Riverside Generating LLC | 1,150 MW | 2.6 km |
| Big Sandy Peaker Plant | 353 MW | 19.4 km |
| Ceredo Generating Station | 519 MW | 23.1 km |
| Green Valley LFGTE | 2 MW | 30.2 km |
| Martin County Solar Project, LLC | 111 MW | 46.8 km |
| Hanging Rock Energy Facility | 1,430 MW | 47 km |