280.5 MW Natural Gas operating in Lawrence, KY — PJM Interconnection, LLC
280.5 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Natural Gas Steam Turbine
Technology
1963
Operating Since
Coordinates
38.1707, -82.6176
County
Lawrence, KY
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Kentucky Power Co | Kentucky Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Kentucky Power Co | American Electric Power Company | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
The Big Sandy Power Plant is a 268 megawatt (MW), natural gas power plant owned and operated by Kentucky Power Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), on the shores of the Big Sandy River near Louisa, Kentucky. It was established in 1963. It was formerly a coal-fired power plant, but was converted to natural gas in 2016.
Read more on WikipediaBig Sandy is a 280.5 MW natural gas-fired power plant located in Lawrence County, Kentucky. The plant, which began operating in 1963, utilizes a single natural gas steam turbine generator. It is owned by American Electric Power Company and operated by Kentucky Power Co. Big Sandy ranks as the 10th largest power plant in Kentucky out of 12, and 668th nationally out of 945 plants.
In its latest year of operation, Big Sandy generated 1,101,669 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 44.6%. The plant operates within the PJM Interconnection, LLC balancing authority and the RFC NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $87.43 per kW, based on FERC filings. News coverage of the plant includes regulatory matters, hazards, and industry news.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
RFC
Balancing Authority
PJM Interconnection, LLC
Grid Voltage
345 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
92.1K MWh
Latest Month
1.1M MWh
Annual Generation
44.6%
Capacity Factor
$696/kW
Installed Cost
$42.2/MWh
Operating Cost
Kentucky Power Company
Reporting Utility
Annual Capital & Operating Expenses
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Big Sandy Substation · 138 kV
Substation Distance
0 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
PJM
LMP Node
BIGSANDY22 KV BS1
Pricing Hub
AEP-DAYTON HUB
Location Type
Generation Node
Node Source
Curated node match
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Last updated 2026-03-14
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