3rd largest plant in Kentucky · 92nd nationally
Paradise is a natural gas power plant in Kentucky with a nameplate capacity of 1,854 MW. It generates roughly 6.9M MWh per year — enough to power about 652,780 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 42% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 814 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 (1,854 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 | Paradise |
|---|---|
| Operator | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| City | Drakesboro |
| County | Muhlenberg County |
| State | Kentucky |
| ZIP | 42337 |
| Coordinates | 37.26080, -86.97830 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 1,150 MW | Retired | 1970 |
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 704 MW | Retired | 1963 |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 704 MW | Retired | 1963 |
| STG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 467 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| CT5 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 231 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| CT6 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 231 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| CT7 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 231 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 231 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 231 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| CTG3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 231 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| CO₂ | 2.8M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 14 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 434 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 814 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 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Natural gas plants are the workhorse of the modern grid. Combined-cycle units achieve very high efficiency and can ramp up and down quickly to balance variable renewables. They emit roughly half the CO₂ per MWh of coal and far less of other pollutants, but they still release upstream methane during fuel extraction.