34th largest plant in Alabama · 2195th nationally
Mead Coated Board is a biomass power plant in Alabama with a nameplate capacity of 121 MW. It generates roughly 705.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 67,205 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 67% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 136 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits below the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (121 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 | Mead Coated Board |
|---|---|
| Operator | Mead Coated Board Inc |
| City | Mahrt |
| County | Russell County |
| State | Alabama |
| ZIP | 36851 |
| Coordinates | 32.17610, -85.02720 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN2 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Black Liquor | 55.5 MW | Operating | 1990 |
| GEN1 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Black Liquor | 40.0 MW | Operating | 1966 |
| GEN3 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 25.0 MW | Operating | 1998 |
| CO₂ | 47.9k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 555 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 366 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 136 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 |
Biomass plants burn wood, agricultural waste, or methane from landfills to generate steam and electricity. They are considered carbon-neutral over long timescales when fuel is sustainably sourced, but they produce particulate emissions similar to coal.