1575 MW Sub. Coal operating in McCracken, KY — Tennessee Valley Authority
1,575 MW
Nameplate Capacity
9
Generators
units
Conventional Steam Coal
Technology
1953
Operating Since
Coordinates
37.1517, -88.7750
County
McCracken, KY
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Tennessee Valley Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority | — |
| Owner(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
The Shawnee Fossil Plant is a coal-fired power plant owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, located near Paducah, Kentucky. The closest city is Metropolis, Illinois, across the Ohio River to the northeast. The Shawnee Fossil Plant was created with the intentions of providing sufficient electricity to the national defense industry escalating demand for power which could not be met with the Commonwealth of Kentucky's then-current infrastructure. The plant also provided economic growth to the area in the post-WWII era creating jobs and a stronger infrastructure to support future state developments.
Read more on WikipediaThe Shawnee power plant is a 1,575 MW coal-fired power plant located in McCracken County, Kentucky. It began operating in 1953 and is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The plant utilizes conventional steam coal technology and subbituminous coal (SUB) as its primary fuel source. Shawnee consists of 9 generating units.
The plant is the largest in Kentucky and ranks 20th out of 75 coal plants nationally. In the latest year with available data, Shawnee generated 6,961,734 MWh of electricity, operating at a capacity factor of 55.1%. The plant is located within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing authority and the SERC NERC region.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
Grid Voltage
161 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
632.5K MWh
Latest Month
7.0M MWh
Annual Generation
55.1%
Capacity Factor
No financial data available for this plant.
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
Last updated 2026-03-14
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