CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 715 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Harris County
- Operator
- CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2001
- EIA plant ID
- 55299
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 4,461 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 55%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 29.7189, -95.2319
CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC, a 715 MW Natural Gas power plant in Harris County, Texas. Operated by CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC, commissioned 2001.
How CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC compares
With 715 MW of capacity, CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC ranks 48th among the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and 35th of the 134 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.1% of Texas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.7% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 179th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2001, it is newer than 47% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Harris County with 19 other operating plants, including T H WHARTON and DEER PARK ENERGY CENTER.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 924 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 715 MW). Net generation was 4,461 GWh in 2024 (a 55% capacity factor), up 4% from 2022. Its generators came online between 2001 and 2014.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is DOWNTOWN, about 8.9 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC, LLC, about 0.2 miles away. Another 24 operating power plants totaling 9,998 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CEDAR BAYOU (1,530 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 4 mapped data centers; the nearest is Netrality Houston - 1301 Fannin in Houston, about 8.4 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
CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC is a 715 MW natural gas power plant in Harris County, TX, operated by CHANNEL ENERGY CENTER LLC, commissioned in 2001. Harris County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.7 of 5 at the 42nd national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Very High by FEMA at the 90th 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.
Harris County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Very High | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 5.1 |
| Tornado | Very High | 44th | 2.7 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Ice storm | Very High | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.91 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 32nd | 2.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively High | 26th | 2.0 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Heat wave | Very High | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | 14.9 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Very High | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 2.4 |
| Lightning | Very High | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 74.6 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 1.1 |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Harris 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.