ESSEX
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 121 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Stoddard County
- Operator
- ASSOCIATED ELECTRIC COOP, INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1999
- EIA plant ID
- 7749
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 62.6 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 5.9%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.8684, -89.8394
ESSEX, a 121 MW Natural Gas power plant in Stoddard County, Missouri. Operated by ASSOCIATED ELECTRIC COOP, INC, commissioned 1999.
How ESSEX compares
With 121 MW of capacity, ESSEX ranks 29th among the 92 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Missouri and 11th of the 23 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 2.4% of Missouri's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 644th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1999, it is newer than 67% of the 89 operating Missouri plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, ASSOCIATED ELECTRIC COOP, INC, runs 7 operating plants in Missouri totaling 3,792 MW.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 121 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combustion turbine technology. Net generation was 62.6 GWh in 2024 (a 5.9% capacity factor), down 13% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is ESSEX (345 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by UNION ELECTRIC CO - (MO), under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 278 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is SIKESTON POWER STATION (261 MW, Coal).
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
ESSEX is a 121 MW natural gas power plant in Stoddard County, MO, operated by ASSOCIATED ELECTRIC COOP, INC, commissioned in 1999. Stoddard County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.1 of 5 at the 52nd national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 98th 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.
Stoddard County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.68 |
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 1.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 6.9 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 2.8 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | 11.6 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | 3.0 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 56.7 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 1.8 |
Perils not assessed in Stoddard 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 Stoddard 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.