HUTCHINSON ENERGY CENTER
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 474 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Reno County
- Operator
- WESTAR ENERGY INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1974
- EIA plant ID
- 1248
- Coordinates
- 38.0901, -97.8736
HUTCHINSON ENERGY CENTER, a 474 MW Natural Gas power plant in Reno County, Kansas. Operated by WESTAR ENERGY INC, commissioned 1974.
Weather peril exposure
HUTCHINSON ENERGY CENTER is a 474 MW natural gas power plant in Reno County, KS, operated by WESTAR ENERGY INC, commissioned in 1974. Reno County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.4 of 5 at the 84th national percentile. Heat wave is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 96th 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.
Reno County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | 11.8 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Very High | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 7.2 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 86th | 4.5 of 5 | 11.6 |
| Hail | Relatively High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 11.4 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 1.7 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 47.8 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Reno 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 Reno 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.