Bowen
Bowen is a coal plant in Bartow County, Georgia, operated by Georgia Power Co. By nameplate capacity it is the seventh-largest power plant in the United States and the second-largest in Georgia. Among the 195 coal plants in the country it is the second-largest. Within the Southern Company balancing area it is the second-largest of 335 plants.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
3,499 MW
3,200 MW net summer capacity
4 operable units
- Coal steam3,499 MW100%
Unit by unit, 1971 to 2025
operating in 2025retiredbar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Coal steam, 806 MW, 1971
Unit 6 Oil-fired, 41.8 MW, 1971–2013
Unit 2 Coal steam, 789 MW, 1972
Unit 3 Coal steam, 952 MW, 1974
Unit 4 Coal steam, 952 MW, 1975
Among Georgia’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Vogtle4,658 MW
- 2Bowenthis plant
- 3Jack McDonough2,848 MW
- 4Scherer2,673 MW
Other rankings
- Coal plants in Georgia
- 1st of 2
- Plants run by Georgia Power Co
- 2nd of 43
- Biggest single unit, among Georgia’s plants
- 2nd of 261
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal steam | 806 MW | 714 MW | 1971 | Operating |
| 2 | Coal steam | 789 MW | 718 MW | 1972 | Operating |
| 3 | Coal steam | 952 MW | 883 MW | 1974 | Operating |
| 4 | Coal steam | 952 MW | 885 MW | 1975 | Operating |
Retired units
Retired capacity here totals 41.8 MW, mostly oil-fired units.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Oil-fired | 41.8 MW | 1971–2013 |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- Southern Company
- Reliability region
- SERC Reliability Corporation
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 500 kV
- Water source
- Etowah River
- Nearest town on record
- Cartersville
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 34.126°N, 84.922°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockmart | Solar | 2.6 MW | 9.6 mi southwest |
| Bartow Davidson | Solar | 2.6 MW | 10.5 mi northeast |
| Allatoona | Hydroelectric | 86.6 MW | 11.4 mi east |
| Polk Cedartown 2 | Solar | 2.4 MW | 17.4 mi west |
| Polk County GA S1, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 17.7 mi west |
| Polk Cedartown | Solar | 2.2 MW | 21.8 mi west |
| Solar BESS Hybrid | Solar | 3.5 MW | 23.3 mi southeast |
| Sewell Creek Energy | Natural gas | 570 MW | 23.7 mi southwest |