CARDINAL
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 1,880 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Jefferson County
- Operator
- CARDINAL OPERATING CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1967
- EIA plant ID
- 2828
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Conventional Steam Coal
- Net generation (2024)
- 9,497 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 57%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 40.2522, -80.6486
CARDINAL, a 1,880 MW Coal power plant in Jefferson County, Ohio. Operated by CARDINAL OPERATING CO, commissioned 1967.
How CARDINAL compares
With 1,880 MW of capacity, CARDINAL ranks 2nd among the 102 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Ohio and 2nd of the 14 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 25% of Ohio's operating Coal capacity and 8.7% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 41st-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1967, it is older than 84% of the 99 operating Ohio plants with a recorded commissioning year.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 1,880 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional steam coal technology. Net generation was 9,497 GWh in 2024 (a 57% capacity factor), down 12% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1967 and 1977.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is WYLIE RIDGE (500 kV), about 14.6 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by OHIO POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: WASTE MANAGEMENT ARDEN LFGTE (5 MW, Biomass). Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is Citynet Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, about 36.5 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
CARDINAL is a 1,880 MW coal power plant in Jefferson County, OH, operated by CARDINAL OPERATING CO, commissioned in 1967. Jefferson County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.9 of 5 at the 48th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 72nd 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.
Jefferson County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | 1.8 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 10.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 0.45 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 35th | 2.4 of 5 | 42.0 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 0.16 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 2.3 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24th | 2.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.