ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 728 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Berks County
- Operator
- ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2002
- EIA plant ID
- 55193
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 3,626 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 57%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 40.4220, -75.9359
ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER, a 728 MW Natural Gas power plant in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Operated by ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER, commissioned 2002.
How ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER compares
With 728 MW of capacity, ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER ranks 18th among the 170 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Pennsylvania and 6th of the 28 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 6.8% of Pennsylvania's operating Natural Gas capacity and 1.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 173rd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2002, it is newer than 54% of the 168 operating Pennsylvania plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Berks County with 2 other operating plants, PIONEER CROSSING LANDFILL GAS TO ENERGY and MORGANTOWN SOLAR PARK.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 728 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 3,626 GWh in 2024 (a 57% capacity factor), down 13% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is ALBURTIS (500 kV), about 19.0 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by METROPOLITAN EDISON CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 7 operating power plants totaling 3,131 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is LIMERICK (2,277 MW, Nuclear).
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
ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER is a 728 MW natural gas power plant in Berks County, PA, operated by ONTELAUNEE ENERGY CENTER, commissioned in 2002. Berks County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.4 of 5 at the 9th national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 78th 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.
Berks County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 66th | 3.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Very High | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | 12.6 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 6.2 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 34th | 2.3 of 5 | 0.47 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 30th | 2.2 of 5 | 4.8 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 34.9 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 9th | 1.4 of 5 | 2.6 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 6.3 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Berks 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 Berks 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.