4008.4 MW Conventional Steam Coal (2737 MW) + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (16 MW) + Natural Gas Steam Turbine (1255 MW) operating in Fort Bend, TX — Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc.
4,008.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
9
Generators
units
Hybrid (3)
Technology
Conventional Steam Coal + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine + Natural Gas Steam Turbine
1958
Operating Since
Coordinates
29.4828, -95.6311
County
Fort Bend, TX
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NRG Texas Power LLC | NRG Texas Power | — |
| Owner(s) | NRG Texas Power LLC | NRG Energy | FirstEnergy |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
The W.A. Parish Generating Station is a 3.65-gigawatt, dual-fired power plant located near Thompsons, Texas. The station occupies a 4,664-acre site near Smithers Lake southwest of Houston in Fort Bend County and consists of two four-unit plants; one natural gas and the other coal. With a total installed capacity of 3,653 MW, it is the second largest conventional power station in the US, and supplies about fifteen percent of the energy in the Houston area. NRG Energy owns and operates the plant.
Read more on WikipediaThe W A Parish power plant, located in Fort Bend County, Texas, has a total capacity of 4008.4 MW across 9 generators. The plant began operating in 1958 and is owned by NRG Energy, with NRG Texas Power LLC as the operator. The primary fuel source is natural gas, although the plant utilizes a mix of technologies including conventional steam coal, natural gas fired combustion turbines, and natural gas steam turbines, classifying it as a hybrid plant.
In the most recent year with available data, the W A Parish plant generated 15,578,685 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 44.3%. The plant operates within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) balancing authority. It is the largest power plant out of 144 in Texas and ranks 4th out of 945 nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
TRE
Balancing Authority
Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc.
Grid Voltage
345 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Independent Power Producer
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
1.1M MWh
Latest Month
15.6M MWh
Annual Generation
44.3%
Capacity Factor
No financial data available for this plant.
Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
W. A. Parish Station (138 kV) · 138 kV
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Operator
CenterPoint Energy
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
ERCOT
LMP Node
WAP_WAP_G5
Pricing Hub
HB_HOUSTON
Secondary Zone
LZ_HOUSTON
Location Type
Resource Node
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
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Last updated 2026-03-14
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