LAUREL
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 70 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Laurel County
- Operator
- USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1977
- EIA plant ID
- 6171
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 53.2 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 8.6%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.9617, -84.2699
LAUREL, a 70 MW Hydro power plant in Laurel County, Kentucky. Operated by USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, commissioned 1977.
How LAUREL compares
With 70 MW of capacity, LAUREL ranks 24th among the 31 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Kentucky and 5th of the 6 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 8.7% of Kentucky's operating Hydro capacity and 0.3% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 233rd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1977, it is newer than 46% of the 30 operating Kentucky plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, runs 3 operating plants in Kentucky totaling 470 MW.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 70 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 53.2 GWh in 2024 (an 8.6% capacity factor), down 32% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOP, INC, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: COOPER (344 MW, Coal).
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
LAUREL is a 70 MW hydro power plant in Laurel County, KY, operated by USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, commissioned in 1977. Laurel County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.3 of 5 at the 83rd national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 90th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Laurel County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | 3.1 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 79th | 4.2 of 5 | 12.9 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 74th | 4.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 53.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 0.15 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 35th | 2.4 of 5 | 2.0 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 30th | 2.2 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 0.32 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 19th | 1.7 of 5 | 2.6 |
Perils not assessed in Laurel 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 Laurel 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.