NicholsRetirement planned
Potter County, Texas · EIA plant ID 3484 · Operator: Southwestern Public Service Co
Nameplate475MWSummer 457 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation1,666GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor42%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate10,805Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1960Runs as intermediate
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 | 1,077 | 26.9% | 10,592 |
| 2002 | 805.4 | 20.1% | 11,240 |
| 2003 | 975.7 | 24.4% | 10,946 |
| 2004 | 1,072.1 | 26.7% | 11,122 |
| 2005 | 1,346.1 | 33.6% | 10,896 |
| 2006 | 1,221.3 | 30.5% | 10,993 |
| 2007 | 1,282.7 | 32.0% | 11,152 |
| 2008 | 1,085.5 | 27.0% | 11,328 |
| 2009 | 850.1 | 21.2% | 11,965 |
| 2010 | 889.3 | 22.2% | 11,916 |
| 2011 | 1,016 | 25.4% | 11,773 |
| 2012 | 1,175.3 | 29.3% | 11,227 |
| 2013 | 761.4 | 19.0% | 12,261 |
| 2014 | 476.8 | 11.9% | 12,275 |
| 2015 | 419.4 | 10.5% | 11,905 |
| 2016 | 449.4 | 11.2% | 12,471 |
| 2017 | 396.8 | 9.9% | 12,588 |
| 2018 | 869.8 | 21.7% | 11,618 |
| 2019 | 1,164.3 | 29.1% | 11,364 |
| 2020 | 1,252 | 31.2% | 11,615 |
| 2021 | 582.2 | 14.5% | 12,467 |
| 2022 | 713.3 | 17.8% | 11,833 |
| 2023 | 1,210.7 | 30.2% | 11,169 |
| 2024 | 1,728.5 | 43.1% | 10,916 |
| 2025 | 1,665.8 | 41.6% | 10,805 |
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 | 113.6 | 107 | Jan 1960 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2028 | coming soon |
| 2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | ST | 113.6 | 106 | Jan 1962 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2027 | coming soon |
| 3 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | ST | 247.5 | 244 | Jan 1968 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2030 | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Southwestern Public Service Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Southwestern Public Service Co | 100.0% | 475 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Harrington | 1,080 MW | 1.6 km |
| Project Matador Gas Plant (PMG) | — | 16.1 km |
| Project Matador Nuclear | — | 16.1 km |
| Majestic II Wind | 80 MW | 19 km |
| Pantex | 12 MW | 19.9 km |
| High Plains Wind Power LLC | retired | 20.2 km |