Power plants in Kentucky
Kentucky has 62 power plants of 1 MW or more in the 2025 EIA-860 data, with 22.2 GW of nameplate capacity, the 23rd-largest total among the 50 states and DC. Coal accounts for 46% of that capacity. The biggest single site is Trimble County at 2,594 MW. Units that came online from 2020 to 2025 add 1,804 MW, led by solar at 61%. Units retired since 2016 at plants still operating total 3,336 MW, most of it coal.
- Coal10,261 MW46%
- Natural gas9,557 MW43%
- Solar1,140 MW5.1%
- Hydroelectric1,100 MW5.0%
- Biomass and waste112 MW0.5%
- Oil and petroleum10.6 MW0.0%
What is running, by the decade it came online
CoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricSolarBiomass and waste
Columns above the line show capacity still operating in 2025, stacked by fuel. Below the line: capacity retired in each decade at plants that still operate.
The 25 largest plants
| Rank | Plant | Runs on | Capacity | First unit | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trimble County | Coal | 2,594 MW | 1990 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co |
| 2 | Ghent | Coal | 2,226 MW | 1974 | Kentucky Utilities Co |
| 3 | Paradise | Natural gas | 1,854 MW | 2017 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 4 | H L Spurlock | Coal | 1,608 MW | 1977 | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
| 5 | Shawnee | Coal | 1,575 MW | 1953 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 6 | E W Brown | Natural gas | 1,458 MW | 1971 | Kentucky Utilities Co |
| 7 | Mill Creek (KY) | Coal | 1,362 MW | 1974 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co |
| 8 | Riverside Generating LLC | Natural gas | 1,150 MW | 2001 | Riverside Generating Co LLC |
| 9 | J K Smith | Natural gas | 938 MW | 1999 | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
| 10 | Cane Run | Natural gas | 807 MW | 2015 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co |
| 11 | East Bend | Coal | 772 MW | 1981 | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc |
| 12 | Marshall Energy Facility | Natural gas | 688 MW | 2002 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 13 | R D Green | Natural gas | 586 MW | 1979 | Big Rivers Electric Corp |
| 14 | Bluegrass Generating Station | Natural gas | 581 MW | 2002 | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
| 15 | D B Wilson | Coal | 509 MW | 1984 | Big Rivers Electric Corp |
| 16 | Cooper | Coal | 344 MW | 1965 | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
| 17 | Big Sandy | Natural gas | 280 MW | 1963 | Kentucky Power Co |
| 18 | Wolf Creek | Hydroelectric | 270 MW | 1951 | USCE-Nashville District |
| 19 | Sebree Solar I | Solar | 250 MW | 2025 | Sebree Solar, LLC |
| 20 | Kentucky Dam | Hydroelectric | 219 MW | 1944 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 21 | Paddys Run | Natural gas | 211 MW | 1968 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co |
| 22 | Green River Solar | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 | Green River Solar, LLC |
| 23 | SR Russellville | Solar | 173 MW | 2024 | SR Russellville, LLC |
| 24 | Unbridled Solar | Solar | 160 MW | 2025 | Geronimo Power |
| 25 | Barkley | Hydroelectric | 130 MW | 1966 | USCE-Nashville District |
Largest plant for each main fuel
| Main fuel | Plants | Capacity | Largest plant | Its capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 8 | 11.0 GW | Trimble County | 2,594 MW |
| Natural gas | 14 | 8,840 MW | Paradise | 1,854 MW |
| Solar | 18 | 1,127 MW | Sebree Solar I | 250 MW |
| Hydroelectric | 11 | 1,100 MW | Wolf Creek | 270 MW |
| Biomass and waste | 10 | 112 MW | Kentucky Mills | 88 MW |
| Oil and petroleum | 1 | 10.6 MW | Paris (KY) | 10.6 MW |
Balancing areas
| Area | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company | 14 | 9,071 MW |
| PJM Interconnection | 29 | 6,112 MW |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 10 | 4,941 MW |
| MISO (Midcontinent) | 9 | 2,056 MW |
Biggest operators here
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | 5 | 5,083 MW |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 4 | 4,335 MW |
| Kentucky Utilities Co | 5 | 3,755 MW |
| East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | 10 | 3,495 MW |
| Big Rivers Electric Corp | 3 | 1,194 MW |
| Riverside Generating Co LLC | 1 | 1,150 MW |
| Duke Energy Kentucky Inc | 5 | 781 MW |
| USCE-Nashville District | 3 | 470 MW |
| Kentucky Power Co | 1 | 280 MW |
| Sebree Solar, LLC | 1 | 250 MW |