Jack Watson
Jack Watson is a natural gas plant in Harrison County, Mississippi, operated by Mississippi Power Co. It ranks fourth by nameplate capacity among Mississippi’s 63 power plants. Retired units here add up to 296 MW across 3 units, taken out of service between 2015 and 2018. Its biggest unit, rated at 578 MW, is the third-largest single generator in Mississippi.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
919 MW
754 MW net summer capacity
3 operable units
- Gas steam turbine877 MW95%
- Gas combustion turbine41.9 MW4.6%
Unit by unit, 1957 to 2025
operating in 2025retiredbar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Gas steam turbine, 93.8 MW, 1957–2015
Unit 2 Gas steam turbine, 93.8 MW, 1960–2015
Unit 3 Gas steam turbine, 109 MW, 1962–2018
Unit 4 Gas steam turbine, 299 MW, 1968
Unit A Gas combustion turbine, 41.9 MW, 1970
Unit 5 Gas steam turbine, 578 MW, 1973
Among Mississippi’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Victor J Daniel Jr2,229 MW
- 2Grand Gulf1,440 MW
- 3Magnolia Power Plant1,004 MW
- 4Jack Watsonthis plant
- 5TVA Southaven Combined Cycle904 MW
- 6Choctaw County899 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 345th of 14,286
- US natural gas plants
- 179th of 1,961
- Natural gas plants in Mississippi
- 3rd of 28
- Plants in the Southern Company balancing area
- 20th of 335
- Plants run by Mississippi Power Co
- 2nd of 6
Operable units
By the year its oldest working unit started, it is the third-oldest of Mississippi’s 28 natural gas plants.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Gas steam turbine | 299 MW | 236 MW | 1968 | Operating |
| A | Gas combustion turbine | 41.9 MW | 33 MW | 1970 | Operating |
| 5 | Gas steam turbine | 578 MW | 485 MW | 1973 | Operating |
Retired units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gas steam turbine | 93.8 MW | 1957–2015 |
| 2 | Gas steam turbine | 93.8 MW | 1960–2015 |
| 3 | Gas steam turbine | 109 MW | 1962–2018 |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- Southern Company
- Reliability region
- SERC Reliability Corporation
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 230 kV
- Water source
- Biloxi River
- Nearest town on record
- Gulfport
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 30.439°N, 89.029°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport Naval Base CSG PV System | Solar | 3.5 MW | 6.8 mi southwest |
| Moonshot | Solar | 78.5 MW | 28.3 mi west |
| Victor J Daniel Jr | Natural gas | 2,229 MW | 28.9 mi east |
| Chevron Oil | Natural gas | 170 MW | 32.7 mi east |
| Benndale | Natural gas | 28.4 MW | 33.8 mi northeast |
| W&T Onshore Treating Facility (OTF) | Natural gas | 12 MW | 50.4 mi east |
| Theodore Cogen Facility | Natural gas | 317 MW | 53.9 mi east |
| Gaylord Container Bogalusa | Biomass and waste | 99.5 MW | 54.7 mi northwest |