Cardinal
Cardinal is a coal plant in Jefferson County, Ohio, operated by Cardinal Operating Company. It ranks third by nameplate capacity among Ohio’s 215 power plants. The operator has reported planned retirement dates for 650 MW of it, in 2028.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,880 MW
1,790 MW net summer capacity
3 operable units
- Coal steam1,880 MW100%
Unit by unit, 1967 to 2025
operating in 2025reported planned retirementbar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Coal steam, 615 MW, 1967
Unit 2 Coal steam, 615 MW, 1967
Unit 3 Coal steam, 650 MW, 1977
Among Ohio’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Gavin Power, LLC2,600 MW
- 2Guernsey Power Station2,055 MW
- 3Cardinalthis plant
- 4Hanging Rock Energy Facility1,430 MW
- 5Perry1,312 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 81st of 14,286
- US coal plants
- 24th of 195
- Coal plants in Ohio
- 2nd of 7
- Plants in the PJM Interconnection balancing area
- 20th of 2,049
- Biggest single unit, among Ohio’s plants
- 5th of 215
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal steam | 615 MW | 585 MW | 1967 | Operating |
| 2 | Coal steam | 615 MW | 585 MW | 1967 | Operating |
| 3 | Coal steam | 650 MW | 620 MW | 1977 | Operating, retirement planned for 2028 |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Buckeye Power, Inc | 100.0% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- PJM Interconnection
- Reliability region
- ReliabilityFirst
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 345 kV
- Water source
- Ohio River
- Nearest town on record
- Brillant
- Operator type
- Independent producer
- Coordinates
- 40.252°N, 80.649°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management Arden LFGTE | Biomass and waste | 4.8 MW | 20.7 mi east |
| Gaucho Solar | Solar | 20 MW | 25.1 mi northeast |
| PG Solar 1 | Solar | 3 MW | 26.2 mi northeast |
| South Field Energy | Natural gas | 1,210 MW | 26.5 mi north |
| Pine 2 Solar | Solar | 17.1 MW | 26.8 mi north |
| Pine 1 Solar | Solar | 17.1 MW | 27.1 mi north |
| Pittsburgh Airport Gas Plant | Natural gas | 22 MW | 27.6 mi northeast |
| Beaver Valley | Nuclear | 1,847 MW | 27.9 mi northeast |