E W Brown
E W Brown is a natural gas plant in Mercer County, Kentucky, operated by Kentucky Utilities Co. Its units draw on three kinds of energy: natural gas, coal and solar. A further 125 MW of new generating units is reported as planned or under construction on the site. Retired units here add up to 293 MW across 2 units, taken out of service in 2019. Four units here can switch between natural gas and oil.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,458 MW
1,328 MW net summer capacity
9 operable units
- Gas combustion turbine981 MW67%
- Coal steam464 MW32%
- Solar photovoltaic13 MW0.9%
Unit by unit, 1957 to 2025
operating in 2025retiredbar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Coal steam, 114 MW, 1957–2019
Unit 2 Coal steam, 180 MW, 1963–2019
Unit 3 Coal steam, 464 MW, 1971
Unit 9 Gas combustion turbine, 126 MW, 1994
Unit 10 Gas combustion turbine, 126 MW, 1995
Unit 8 Gas combustion turbine, 126 MW, 1995
Unit 11 Gas combustion turbine, 126 MW, 1996
Unit 6 Gas combustion turbine, 177 MW, 1999
Unit 7 Gas combustion turbine, 177 MW, 1999
Unit 5 Gas combustion turbine, 123 MW, 2001
Unit SOLAR Solar photovoltaic, 13 MW, 2016
Among Kentucky’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Trimble County2,594 MW
- 2Ghent2,226 MW
- 3Paradise1,854 MW
- 4H L Spurlock1,608 MW
- 5Shawnee1,575 MW
- 6E W Brownthis plant
- 7Mill Creek (KY)1,362 MW
- 8Riverside Generating LLC1,150 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 149th of 14,286
- Power plants in Kentucky
- 6th of 62
- US natural gas plants
- 55th of 1,961
- Natural gas plants in Kentucky
- 2nd of 14
- Plants in the Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company balancing area
- 3rd of 15
- Plants run by Kentucky Utilities Co
- 2nd of 5
- Biggest single unit, among Kentucky’s plants
- 8th of 62
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Coal steam | 464 MW | 412 MW | 1971 | Operating |
| 9 | Gas combustion turbine | 126 MW | 121 MW | 1994 | Operating |
| 8 | Gas combustion turbine | 126 MW | 121 MW | 1995 | Operating |
| 10 | Gas combustion turbine | 126 MW | 121 MW | 1995 | Operating |
| 11 | Gas combustion turbine | 126 MW | 121 MW | 1996 | Operating |
| 6 | Gas combustion turbine | 177 MW | 146 MW | 1999 | Operating |
| 7 | Gas combustion turbine | 177 MW | 146 MW | 1999 | Operating |
| 5 | Gas combustion turbine | 123 MW | 130 MW | 2001 | Operating |
| SOLAR | Solar photovoltaic | 13 MW | 10 MW | 2016 | Operating |
Retired units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal steam | 114 MW | 1957–2019 |
| 2 | Coal steam | 180 MW | 1963–2019 |
New units reported to EIA
| Technology | Nameplate | Expected | Stage at end of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery | 125 MW | 2027 | under construction (under half done) |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Kentucky Utilities Co | 19.6% |
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | 14.0% |
| Kentucky Utilities Co (sole owner of the other units) | 66.4% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company
- Reliability region
- SERC Reliability Corporation
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 138 kV
- Water source
- Herrington Lake
- Nearest town on record
- Harrodsburg
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 37.788°N, 84.713°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dix Dam | Hydroelectric | 28.2 MW | 0.6 mi east |
| Mother Ann Lee | Hydroelectric | 2.1 MW | 2.9 mi north |
| SR Turkey Creek, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 15.6 mi southeast |
| Haefling | Natural gas | 41.4 MW | 22.7 mi northeast |
| Cooperative Solar One | Solar | 8.5 MW | 29.9 mi northeast |
| J K Smith | Natural gas | 938 MW | 34.0 mi east |
| Paris (KY) | Oil and petroleum | 10.6 MW | 38.7 mi northeast |
| Green City Recovery, LLC | Biomass and waste | 2 MW | 39.5 mi north |