WEYERHAEUSER COLUMBUS MS
OperatingBiomass power plant
- Capacity
- 129 MW
- Primary fuel
- Biomass
- County
- Lowndes County
- Operator
- WEYERHAEUSER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1982
- EIA plant ID
- 50184
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Wood/Wood Waste Biomass
- Net generation (2024)
- 430 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 38%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 33.3603, -88.4595
WEYERHAEUSER COLUMBUS MS, a 129 MW Biomass power plant in Lowndes County, Mississippi. Operated by WEYERHAEUSER CO, commissioned 1982.
How WEYERHAEUSER COLUMBUS MS compares
With 129 MW of capacity, WEYERHAEUSER COLUMBUS MS ranks 21st among the 37 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Mississippi and is the largest of the 4 operating Biomass plants in the state. It accounts for about 44% of Mississippi's operating Biomass capacity and 0.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 7th-largest of the 350 operating Biomass plants in the database. Commissioned in 1982, it is older than 65% of the 35 operating Mississippi plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Lowndes County with one other operating plant, CALEDONIA.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 129 MW of nameplate capacity, all wood/wood waste biomass technology. Net generation was 430 GWh in 2024 (a 38% capacity factor), down 17% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1982 and 1990.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is WEYERHAEUSER CO (161 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: CALEDONIA (801 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
WEYERHAEUSER COLUMBUS MS is a 129 MW biomass power plant in Lowndes County, MS, operated by WEYERHAEUSER CO, commissioned in 1982. Lowndes County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.0 of 5 at the 50th national percentile. Tornado is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 95th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a biomass plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Lowndes County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.50 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 66.5 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 2.0 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | 0.94 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 69th | 3.8 of 5 | 1.7 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 3.5 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 11.7 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | 2.8 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Lowndes 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 Lowndes 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.