Howard Bend is retired. EIA's monthly generator inventory (EIA-860M, August 2026) lists every generator at this oil plant as retired; the last one retired in February 2015. It is not counted among Missouri's operating plants or in any ranking on this site.
The figures below describe the plant when it ran: equipment from EIA Form 860 (2024).
The 47.4 MW is nameplate capacity: the most this plant's generators are rated to produce, not what it actually generates. EPA eGRID reports no positive net generation for it this year.
How it works
Why the numbers look like this: a combustion turbine can go from cold to full power in well under an hour, often minutes, so grid operators call on these plants for the few hottest or coldest hours of the year. A low capacity factor here is the job description, not a failure.
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| Address | 698 Water Works Road |
|---|---|
| City | Chesterfield |
| County | St Louis County |
| State | Missouri |
| ZIP | 63017 |
| Coordinates | 38.68180, -90.54005 |
| Operator | Union Electric Co - (MO) |
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Nameplate capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 47.4 MW | Retired | 1973 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
Oil-fired plants typically run only during peak demand or grid emergencies because oil is expensive compared to gas and coal. Per megawatt-hour, they emit nearly as much CO₂ as coal.