2nd largest plant in Kentucky · 61st nationally
Ghent is a coal power plant in Kentucky with a nameplate capacity of 2,226 MW. It generates roughly 9.8M MWh per year — enough to power about 930,653 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 50% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 2166 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 (2,226 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 | Ghent |
|---|---|
| Operator | Kentucky Utilities Co |
| City | Ghent |
| County | Carroll County |
| State | Kentucky |
| ZIP | 41045 |
| Coordinates | 38.74970, -85.03500 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 557 MW | Operating | 1974 |
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 557 MW | Operating | 1981 |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 556 MW | Operating | 1977 |
| 4 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 556 MW | Operating | 1984 |
| CO₂ | 10.6M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 7.7k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 6.7k metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2166 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 | Louisville Gas And Electric Company And Kentucky Utilities Company |
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.