8th largest plant in Nebraska · 969th nationally
Whelan Energy Center is a coal power plant in Nebraska with a nameplate capacity of 324 MW. It generates roughly 1.1M MWh per year — enough to power about 104,333 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 39% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 2192 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 (324 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 | Whelan Energy Center |
|---|---|
| Operator | City Of Hastings - (Ne) |
| City | Hastings |
| County | Adams County |
| State | Nebraska |
| ZIP | 68902 |
| Coordinates | 40.58087, -98.31244 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 248 MW | Operating | 2011 |
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 76.3 MW | Operating | 1981 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal Energy Agency Of Ne | Lincoln, NE | 3636.0% |
| Heartland Consumers Power Dist | Madison, SD | 3636.0% |
| City Of Hastings - (Ne) | Hastings, NE | 1591.0% |
| City Of Grand Island - (Ne) | Grand Island, NE | 682.0% |
| City Of Nebraska City | Nebraska City, NE | 455.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| CO₂ | 1.2M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 2.1k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 968 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2192 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.