JOSEPH M FARLEY
OperatingNuclear power plant
- Capacity
- 1,776 MW
- Primary fuel
- Nuclear
- County
- Houston County
- Operator
- ALABAMA POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1977
- EIA plant ID
- 6001
- Generators
- 2
- Technology
- Nuclear
- Net generation (2024)
- 15,084 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 97%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 31.2231, -85.1123
JOSEPH M FARLEY, a 1,776 MW Nuclear power plant in Houston County, Alabama. Operated by ALABAMA POWER CO, commissioned 1977.
How JOSEPH M FARLEY compares
With 1,776 MW of capacity, JOSEPH M FARLEY ranks 7th among the 64 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Alabama and is the smallest of the 2 operating Nuclear plants in the state. It accounts for about 34% of Alabama's operating Nuclear capacity and 5.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 29th-largest of the 55 operating Nuclear plants in the database. Commissioned in 1977, it is newer than 51% of the 64 operating Alabama plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, ALABAMA POWER CO, runs 22 operating plants in Alabama totaling 12,989 MW. It shares Houston County with one other operating plant, CRESTWOOD DOTHAN.
EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 1,776 MW of nameplate capacity, all nuclear technology. Net generation was 15,084 GWh in 2024 (a 97% capacity factor), up 16% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1977 and 1981.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 500 kV line owned by ALABAMA POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 110 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is GEORGIA-PACIFIC CEDAR SPRINGS (101 MW, Biomass).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
JOSEPH M FARLEY is a 1,776 MW nuclear power plant in Houston County, AL, operated by ALABAMA POWER CO, commissioned in 1977. Houston County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.6 of 5 at the 39th national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 89th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a nuclear plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Houston County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 89th | 4.6 of 5 | 0.20 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 80th | 4.2 of 5 | 74.7 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 66th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.50 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.93 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 36th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 0.47 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 30th | 2.2 of 5 | 1.7 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 29th | 2.2 of 5 | 5.1 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 11th | 1.5 of 5 | 1.2 |
Perils not assessed in Houston 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 Houston 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.