Cardinal
Jefferson County, Ohio · EIA plant ID 2828 · Operator: Cardinal Operating Company
Nameplate1,880MWSummer 1,790 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation9,497GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor61%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate10,099Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1967Runs as baseload
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
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 | 9,708.4 | 61.6% | 10,016 |
| 2002 | 8,555.5 | 54.3% | 9,725 |
| 2003 | 10,556.6 | 67.0% | 9,780 |
| 2004 | 10,794.1 | 68.3% | 9,713 |
| 2005 | 11,372.2 | 71.5% | 9,780 |
| 2006 | 11,490.8 | 72.3% | 9,681 |
| 2007 | 10,709.7 | 67.9% | 10,021 |
| 2008 | 10,386.2 | 65.7% | 9,782 |
| 2009 | 10,784.5 | 68.4% | 9,900 |
| 2010 | 10,057.6 | 63.8% | 9,912 |
| 2011 | 8,059.4 | 51.1% | 10,088 |
| 2012 | 7,372.3 | 46.6% | 9,993 |
| 2013 | 11,004.4 | 69.8% | 10,069 |
| 2014 | 10,700.7 | 67.9% | 9,967 |
| 2015 | 8,835.5 | 56.0% | 9,893 |
| 2016 | 9,180.9 | 58.1% | 9,936 |
| 2017 | 10,498.7 | 66.6% | 10,005 |
| 2018 | 10,038.3 | 64.0% | 10,018 |
| 2019 | 9,640.2 | 61.5% | 9,916 |
| 2020 | 9,059.8 | 57.6% | 10,001 |
| 2021 | 10,066.9 | 64.2% | 9,836 |
| 2022 | 10,755.9 | 68.6% | 9,791 |
| 2023 | 9,679.9 | 61.7% | 9,951 |
| 2024 | 9,497.1 | 60.4% | 10,139 |
| 2025 | 10,816.3 | 69.0% | 10,071 |
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 | Conventional Steam Coal | ST | 615.2 | 585 | Feb 1967 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | ST | 615.2 | 585 | Jul 1967 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | ST | 650 | 620 | Sep 1977 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2028 | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Cardinal Operating Company. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Buckeye Power, Inc | 100.0% | 1,880 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Steubenville Solar | — | 11.2 km |
| Pike Island Hydroelectric Project | — | 12.3 km |
| Wylie Ridge Solar | — | 23.2 km |
| New Cumberland Hydroelectric Project | — | 30.8 km |
| FirstEnergy W H Sammis | retired | 31.1 km |
| Waste Management Arden LFGTE | 5 MW | 33.3 km |