Cow Branch
Atchison County, Missouri · EIA plant ID 56536 · Operator: Cow Branch
Nameplate50MWSummer 50 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation172GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor39%wind units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online2008
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), wind 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.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 65.5 | 19.7% | — |
| 2009 | 77.9 | 17.6% | — |
| 2010 | 96.8 | 21.9% | — |
| 2011 | 124.6 | 28.2% | — |
| 2012 | 129.3 | 29.2% | — |
| 2013 | 120.6 | 27.3% | — |
| 2014 | 128.9 | 29.2% | — |
| 2015 | 103.7 | 23.5% | — |
| 2016 | 114.9 | 25.9% | — |
| 2017 | 119.2 | 27.0% | — |
| 2018 | 103.8 | 23.5% | — |
| 2019 | 102.2 | 23.1% | — |
| 2020 | 89.8 | 20.3% | — |
| 2021 | 89.9 | 20.4% | — |
| 2022 | 111.2 | 25.2% | — |
| 2023 | 92.3 | 20.9% | — |
| 2024 | 61 | 13.8% | — |
| 2025 | 145 | 32.9% | — |
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 | Onshore Wind Turbine | WT | 50.4 | 50.4 | Apr 2008 | Operating | — | vestas V120-2.2 |
Owner / operator
Operator: Cow Branch. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Cow Branch | 100.0% | 50 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Loess Hills | 5 MW | 7.5 km |
| Atchison County Wind | 299 MW | 12.9 km |
| Farmers City Wind LLC | 146 MW | 14.3 km |
| Cooper Nuclear Station | 801 MW | 17.7 km |
| Shenandoah Hills Wind Farm | 214 MW | 21.7 km |
| Rock Creek Wind Project | 300 MW | 23.5 km |