DICKERSON
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 930 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Montgomery County
- Operator
- NRG ENERGY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1992
- EIA plant ID
- 1572
- Coordinates
- 39.2099, -77.4644
DICKERSON, a 930 MW Coal power plant in Montgomery County, Maryland. Operated by NRG ENERGY, commissioned 1992.
How DICKERSON compares
With 930 MW of capacity, DICKERSON ranks 5th among the 48 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Maryland and is the smallest of the 4 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 15% of Maryland's operating Coal capacity and 8.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 118th-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1992, it is older than 60% of the 46 operating Maryland plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Montgomery County with 3 other operating plants, including MONTGOMERY COUNTY RESOURCE RECOVERY and CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT AT WHITE OAK.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is DOUBS (500 kV), about 6.6 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by THE POTOMAC EDISON CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 3 operating power plants totaling 93 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MONTGOMERY COUNTY RESOURCE RECOVERY (68 MW, Biomass). Within 50 miles are 13 mapped data centers; the nearest is RagingWire VA1 - NTT in Ashburn, about 13.0 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860 retirement records and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
DICKERSON is a 930 MW coal power plant in Montgomery County, MD, operated by NRG ENERGY, commissioned in 1992. Montgomery County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.2 of 5 at the 31st national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 76th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a coal plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Montgomery County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 76th | 4.0 of 5 | 39.2 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 0.10 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively High | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 4.0 |
| Winter weather | Very High | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 12.1 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 34th | 2.3 of 5 | 8.2 |
| Coastal flooding | Very Low | 21st | 1.8 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 19th | 1.8 of 5 | 0.38 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.63 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 5.5 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | 5.3 |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Montgomery 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.