8th largest plant in Missouri · 299th nationally
Hawthorn is a coal power plant in Missouri with a nameplate capacity of 1,046 MW. It generates roughly 2.4M MWh per year — enough to power about 224,714 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 26% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 2265 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 (1,046 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 | Hawthorn |
|---|---|
| Operator | Evergy Metro |
| City | Kansas City |
| County | Jackson County |
| State | Missouri |
| ZIP | 64120 |
| Coordinates | 39.13060, -94.47780 |
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 | Subbituminous Coal | 569 MW | Operating | 1969 |
| 6 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 170 MW | Operating | 1997 |
| 9 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 143 MW | Operating | 2000 |
| 7 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 82.2 MW | Operating | 2000 |
| 8 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 82.2 MW | Operating | 2000 |
| CO₂ | 2.7M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 1.3k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 806 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2265 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 | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Southwest Power Pool |
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.