109.6 MW Hydro operating in Jefferson, KY — Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company
109.6 MW
Nameplate Capacity
8
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1928
Operating Since
Coordinates
38.2832, -85.7792
County
Jefferson, KY
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Louisville Gas & Electric | — |
| Owner(s) | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | PPL | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ohio Falls Station is a hydroelectric power station owned by Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) which is located three miles west of Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The generating station is located on Shippingport Island at the site of the McAlpine Dam and locks along the Ohio River in Kentucky. The plant was built in 1923 by Byllesby Engineering and Management Corporation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The plant featured eight 10.4 MW units operating at roughly 13,500 hp per unit. Each unit was composed of Allis-Chalmers turbines and General Electric generators. The plant is located inside the Ohio Natural Wildlife Conservation Area and is considered a large impoundment hydro power plant. The station was built after a canal and dam within the Ohio river in an attempt to allow boats to navigate the 8 ft vertical drop among the falls that spanned 2 miles wide. Production of the canal and dam began in 1825. It was not until a repair on the dam was needed that Louisville engineers had the idea of building a hydroelectric station to harvest the power of the falls.
Read more on WikipediaThe Ohio Falls hydroelectric plant is located in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The plant has a total capacity of 109.6 MW across 8 generators, and it began operating in 1928. It is owned by PPL and operated by Louisville Gas & Electric Co. The primary fuel source is water (WAT), and the plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology. Ohio Falls is ranked as the 4th largest of 5 hydroelectric plants in Kentucky, and 172nd nationally out of 194 similar plants. The balancing authority is Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, and the plant is located within the SERC NERC region.
In the latest year of reported generation, Ohio Falls produced 235,476 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 24.4%. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $1,480 per kW. The plant's financial information is sourced from FERC filings.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company
Grid Voltage
69 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
34.7K MWh
Latest Month
235.5K MWh
Annual Generation
24.4%
Capacity Factor
$1,626/kW
Installed Cost
$9.2/MWh
Operating Cost
Louisville Gas and Electric Company
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
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Last updated 2026-03-14
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