EMPORIA ENERGY CENTER
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 730 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Lyon County
- Operator
- WESTAR ENERGY INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2008
- EIA plant ID
- 56502
- Generators
- 7
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,548 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 24%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 38.4467, -96.0655
EMPORIA ENERGY CENTER, a 730 MW Natural Gas power plant in Lyon County, Kansas. Operated by WESTAR ENERGY INC, commissioned 2008.
How EMPORIA ENERGY CENTER compares
With 730 MW of capacity, EMPORIA ENERGY CENTER ranks 4th among the 115 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Kansas and is the largest of the 53 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 19% of Kansas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 5.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 172nd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2008, it is newer than 75% of the 113 operating Kansas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, WESTAR ENERGY INC, runs 6 operating plants in Kansas totaling 4,079 MW.
EIA-860 lists 7 generators at the site with 730 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combustion turbine technology. Net generation was 1,548 GWh in 2024 (a 24% capacity factor), about 4 times its 2022 output. Its generators came online between 2008 and 2009.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 345 kV line owned by WESTAR ENERGY INC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 5 operating power plants totaling 1,316 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION (1,268 MW, Nuclear).
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
EMPORIA ENERGY CENTER is a 730 MW natural gas power plant in Lyon County, KS, operated by WESTAR ENERGY INC, commissioned in 2008. Lyon County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.4 of 5 at the 60th national percentile. Heat wave is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 95th 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.
Lyon County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 14.4 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 86th | 4.5 of 5 | 0.75 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 11.7 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 79th | 4.2 of 5 | 0.64 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 8.7 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 59th | 3.3 of 5 | 51.0 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 6.4 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | 2.3 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Lyon 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 |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Lyon 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.