1829.4 MW Batteries (13 MW) + Conventional Steam Coal (486 MW) + Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle (1241 MW) + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (70 MW) + Solar Photovoltaic (20 MW) operating in Hillsborough, FL — Tampa Electric Company
1,829.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
7
Generators
units
Hybrid (5)
Technology
Batteries + Conventional Steam Coal + Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine + Solar Photovoltaic
1970
Operating Since
Coordinates
27.7944, -82.4036
County
Hillsborough, FL
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Tampa Electric Co | Tampa Electric | — |
| Owner(s) | Tampa Electric Co | Emera | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Big Bend Power Station is a major coal-fired power plant, located across Tampa Bay from Tampa, Florida, United States, on nearly 1,500 acres (6 km2) in southwestern Hillsborough County, close to Apollo Beach. It is owned and operated by TECO Energy. Three similar units were launched in the early 1970s, followed by a newer 486-MWe unit 4 in 1985.
Read more on WikipediaBig Bend is a hybrid power plant located in Hillsborough County, Florida. Operated by Tampa Electric Co, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Emera, the plant has a total capacity of 1829.4 MW across 7 generators. The plant utilizes a mix of technologies including Conventional Steam Coal, Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle, Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine, Solar Photovoltaic, and Batteries. The primary fuel source is natural gas. Big Bend is interconnected to the Tampa Electric Company balancing authority within the SERC NERC region.
The plant began operating in 1970 and in the most recent year with available data, it generated 7,473,386 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 46.5%. The facility also includes a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 25.2 MWh and a duration of 2 hours, utilizing lithium-ion battery chemistry. The solar photovoltaic component uses single-axis tracking. Financial data is available for the plant from sources including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) solar data. Big Bend ranks as the 12th largest power plant in Florida out of 51, and 36th nationally out of 945 plants.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
Tampa Electric Company
Grid Voltage
230 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
690.6K MWh
Latest Month
7.5M MWh
Annual Generation
46.5%
Capacity Factor
$66.7/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$16.6/MWh
Energy Value
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
Thermal power plant burning coal fossil fuel for production of electrical energy. Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach near Tampa, Florida.
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Last updated 2026-03-14
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