J K SMITH
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 1,055 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Clark County
- Operator
- EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOP, INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1999
- EIA plant ID
- 54
- Generators
- 9
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 628 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 6.8%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 37.8830, -84.1012
J K SMITH, a 1,055 MW Natural Gas power plant in Clark County, Kentucky. Operated by EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOP, INC, commissioned 1999.
How J K SMITH compares
With 1,055 MW of capacity, J K SMITH ranks 9th among the 31 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Kentucky and 2nd of the 6 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 28% of Kentucky's operating Natural Gas capacity and 4.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 83rd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1999, it is newer than 66% of the 30 operating Kentucky plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOP, INC, runs 3 operating plants in Kentucky totaling 3,008 MW.
EIA-860 lists 9 generators at the site with 1,055 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combustion turbine technology. Net generation was 628 GWh in 2024 (a 6.8% capacity factor), down 12% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1999 and 2010.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOP, INC, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: PARIS (12 MW, Oil).
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
J K SMITH is a 1,055 MW natural gas power plant in Clark County, KY, operated by EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOP, INC, commissioned in 1999. Clark County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.8 of 5 at the 45th national percentile. Strong wind is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 75th 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.
Clark County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 5.5 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 1.2 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 3.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.67 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 11.7 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 36th | 2.5 of 5 | 51.3 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 2.5 |
Perils not assessed in Clark 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 Clark 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.