SYLVARENA
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 141 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Smith County
- Operator
- SOUTH MISSISSIPPI EL PWR ASSN
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2003
- EIA plant ID
- 7989
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 294 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 24%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 31.9820, -89.4127
SYLVARENA, a 141 MW Natural Gas power plant in Smith County, Mississippi. Operated by SOUTH MISSISSIPPI EL PWR ASSN, commissioned 2003.
How SYLVARENA compares
With 141 MW of capacity, SYLVARENA ranks 20th among the 37 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Mississippi and 15th of the 21 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.5% of Mississippi's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 616th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2003, it is newer than 68% of the 35 operating Mississippi plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, SOUTH MISSISSIPPI EL PWR ASSN, runs 6 operating plants in Mississippi totaling 2,209 MW. It shares Smith County with one other operating plant, RALEIGH CO2 PLANT.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 141 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combustion turbine technology. Net generation was 294 GWh in 2024 (a 24% capacity factor), up 25% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by MISSISSIPPI POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: RALEIGH CO2 PLANT (5 MW).
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
SYLVARENA is a 141 MW natural gas power plant in Smith County, MS, operated by SOUTH MISSISSIPPI EL PWR ASSN, commissioned in 2003. Smith County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.6 of 5 at the 90th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 99th 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.
Smith County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 73.8 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.96 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 4.8 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.13 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 79th | 4.2 of 5 | 3.9 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 66th | 3.6 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 11.6 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 2.2 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 36th | 2.5 of 5 | 1.1 |
Perils not assessed in Smith 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 Smith 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.