Canal
Canal is an oil-fired plant in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, operated by Canal Generating LLC. No other power plant in Massachusetts has more nameplate capacity; the state has 685 in all. Among the 857 oil-fired plants in the country it is the third-largest. Its biggest unit, rated at 585 MW, is the largest single generator in Massachusetts. Its oldest working unit dates from 1968, earlier than at any other oil-fired plant in Massachusetts.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,495 MW
1,449 MW net summer capacity
3 operable units
- Oil-fired1,165 MW78%
- Gas combustion turbine330 MW22%
Unit by unit, 1968 to 2025
operating in 2025bar height follows unit size
Among Massachusetts’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Canalthis plant
- 2Northfield Mountain1,168 MW
- 3Fore River Generating Station872 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 140th of 14,286
- Oil-fired plants in Massachusetts
- 1st of 15
- Plants in the ISO New England balancing area
- 2nd of 1,475
Operable units
One unit can switch between natural gas and oil.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oil-fired | 585 MW | 560 MW | 1968 | Operating |
| 2 | Oil-fired | 580 MW | 559 MW | 1976 | Operating |
| 3 | Gas combustion turbine | 330 MW | 330 MW | 2019 | Operating |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Canal Generating LLC | 77.9% |
| Canal 3 Generating LLC | 22.1% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- ISO New England
- Reliability region
- Northeast Power Coordinating Council
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 345 kV
- Water source
- Cape Cod Canal
- Nearest town on record
- Sandwich
- Operator type
- Independent producer
- Coordinates
- 41.769°N, 70.510°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renew Canal 1 CSG LLC | Solar | 1.2 MW | 0.6 mi west |
| Cape Cod Air Force Station - 6 SWS | Wind | 3.4 MW | 1.9 mi southwest |
| Cedarville CSG | Solar | 2.5 MW | 3.1 mi northwest |
| 665 Scenic Highway | Solar | 5.8 MW | 3.2 mi west |
| Sandwich | Battery storage | 4 MW | 3.9 mi southeast |
| Future Generation Wind | Wind | 8 MW | 5.5 mi west |
| ASD Cotuit MA Solar LLC | Solar | 5.6 MW | 5.8 mi south |
| DG Crystal Spring CSG | Solar | 4.2 MW | 6.2 mi south |