DECATUR ENERGY CENTER
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 902 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Morgan County
- Operator
- DECATUR ENERGY CENTER LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2002
- EIA plant ID
- 55292
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 3,589 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 45%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.6291, -87.0209
DECATUR ENERGY CENTER, a 902 MW Natural Gas power plant in Morgan County, Alabama. Operated by DECATUR ENERGY CENTER LLC, commissioned 2002.
How DECATUR ENERGY CENTER compares
With 902 MW of capacity, DECATUR ENERGY CENTER ranks 12th among the 64 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Alabama and 5th of the 16 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 8.9% of Alabama's operating Natural Gas capacity and 2.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 121st-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2002, it is newer than 81% of the 64 operating Alabama plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Morgan County with 2 other operating plants, MORGAN ENERGY CENTER and DECATUR-MORGAN CO LFG RECOVERY PROJECT.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 902 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 3,589 GWh in 2024 (a 45% capacity factor), up 30% from 2022. Its generators came online between 2002 and 2003.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is BROWNS FERRY (500 kV), about 7.6 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 4,800 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BROWNS FERRY (3,494 MW, Nuclear).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
DECATUR ENERGY CENTER is a 902 MW natural gas power plant in Morgan County, AL, operated by DECATUR ENERGY CENTER LLC, commissioned in 2002. Morgan County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.2 of 5 at the 29th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 97th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Morgan County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 62.3 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.68 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 86th | 4.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 2.4 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 0.75 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | 7.6 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 32nd | 2.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 29th | 2.1 of 5 | 4.7 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 4.4 |
Perils not assessed in Morgan County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Morgan County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.