COTTONWOOD ENERGY PROJECT
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 1,434 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Newton County
- Operator
- COTTONWOOD ENERGY CO LP
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2003
- EIA plant ID
- 55358
- Generators
- 8
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 5,975 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 47%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 30.2582, -93.7362
COTTONWOOD ENERGY PROJECT, a 1,434 MW Natural Gas power plant in Newton County, Texas. Operated by COTTONWOOD ENERGY CO LP, commissioned 2003.
How COTTONWOOD ENERGY PROJECT compares
With 1,434 MW of capacity, COTTONWOOD ENERGY PROJECT ranks 14th among the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and 5th of the 134 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 2.1% of Texas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 1.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 32nd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2003, it is newer than 56% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Newton County with one other operating plant, TOLEDO BEND.
EIA-860 lists 8 generators at the site with 1,434 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 5,975 GWh in 2024 (a 47% capacity factor), down 10% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 500 kV line owned by DEEP EAST TEXAS ELEC COOP INC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 10 operating power plants totaling 3,993 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is SABINE (2,051 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
COTTONWOOD ENERGY PROJECT is a 1,434 MW natural gas power plant in Newton County, TX, operated by COTTONWOOD ENERGY CO LP, commissioned in 2003. Newton County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.6 of 5 at the 65th national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 92nd 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.
Newton County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.67 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | 10.8 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 0.69 |
| Hail | Very Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | 2.0 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 0.82 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 37th | 2.5 of 5 | 1.2 |
| Coastal flooding | Very Low | 36th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 29th | 2.2 of 5 | 76.6 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Newton 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.