2nd largest plant in Georgia · 7th nationally
Bowen is a coal power plant in Georgia with a nameplate capacity of 3,499 MW. It generates roughly 10.2M MWh per year — enough to power about 974,104 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 33% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 2185 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (3,499 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Bowen |
|---|---|
| Operator | Georgia Power Co |
| City | Cartersville |
| County | Bartow County |
| State | Georgia |
| ZIP | 30120 |
| Coordinates | 34.12560, -84.92220 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 952 MW | Operating | 1974 |
| 4 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 952 MW | Operating | 1975 |
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 806 MW | Operating | 1971 |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 789 MW | Operating | 1972 |
| 6 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 41.8 MW | Retired | 1971 |
| CO₂ | 11.2M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 7.1k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 5.7k metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2185 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Southern Company Services, Inc. - Trans |
Coal plants burn pulverized coal to boil water and spin steam turbines. They emit substantial CO₂, SO₂, and NOₓ along with mercury and particulate matter. Modern units include scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction; older units are increasingly being retired or converted to natural gas as economics shift.