Big Sandy — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 1353
- Capacity
- 280.5 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Steam Turbine
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Lawrence, KY
- Operating Since
- 1963
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Kentucky Power Co
- Parent Company
- American Electric Power Company
- Annual Generation
- 1,101,669 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 44.6%
- Balancing Authority
- PJM Interconnection, LLC
- ISO/RTO
- PJM
- NERC Region
- RFC
Big Sandy
OperatingNatural Gas
Ranked #9 of 15 Natural Gas plants in KY#666 of 2009 nationally
280.5 MW Natural Gas operating in Lawrence, KY — PJM Interconnection, LLC
EIAGEMWD
280.5 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Natural Gas Steam Turbine
Technology
1963
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
38.1707, -82.6176
County
Lawrence, KY
Nearby Plants
- Riverside Generating LLCNatural Gas1150 MW · 2.6 km
- Big Sandy Peaker PlantNatural Gas353.4 MW · 19.4 km
- Ceredo Generating StationNatural Gas519 MW · 23.1 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Kentucky Power Co | Kentucky Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Kentucky Power Co | American Electric Power Company | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
About
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
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
RFC
Balancing Authority
PJM Interconnection, LLC
Grid Voltage
345 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
92.1K MWh
Latest Month
1.1M MWh
Annual Generation
44.6%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$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
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidencePoint 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
News & Articles (10)Beta
Regulatory·rate case
Kentucky Power Settlement Reduces Proposed Rate Increase
Kentucky Power has offered a settlement to state regulators for its rate increase proposal, according to a series of filings Friday.
Kentucky Power (operator)state regulators (regulator)
West Virginia Public Broadcasting·2 months ago
Regulatory·rate case
Ever rising power rates sabotage efforts to rebuild economy in Eastern Kentucky
In its most recent rate case, Kentucky Power clarified that population and industrial losses, coupled with the need to increase revenue for...
Kentucky Power (operator)
Kentucky Lantern·2 months ago
Regulatory·state puc
‘Least bad’ option: KY regulators allow power company to reinvest in W.Va. coal plant
State regulators have “reluctantly” signed off on Kentucky Power's request to reinvest in an aging West Virginia coal-fired power plant,...
Kentucky Power (other)West Virginia (other)
Lexington Herald Leader·2 months ago
Regulatory·rate case
KY Power secures settlement to reinvest in aging W.Va. coal plant as energy bills rise
Eastern Kentucky power company says long-term investments in deteriorating plant are best for customers, despite ongoing rate increases.
KY Power (operator)
Lexington Herald Leader·4 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles