4th largest plant in Alabama · 72nd nationally
E C Gaston is a coal power plant in Alabama with a nameplate capacity of 2,034 MW. It generates roughly 3.4M MWh per year — enough to power about 323,787 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 1928 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 (2,034 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 | E C Gaston |
|---|---|
| Operator | Alabama Power Co |
| City | Wilsonville |
| County | Shelby County |
| State | Alabama |
| ZIP | 35186 |
| Coordinates | 33.24421, -86.45806 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 952 MW | Operating | 1974 |
| 1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 272 MW | Operating | 1960 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 272 MW | Operating | 1960 |
| 3 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 272 MW | Operating | 1961 |
| ST4 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 245 MW | Operating | 1962 |
| GT4 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 21.2 MW | Operating | 1970 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama Power Co | Birmingham, AL | 5000.0% |
| Georgia Power Co | Atlanta, GA | 5000.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| CO₂ | 3.3M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 848 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 2.3k metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 1928 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.