HAYS ENERGY PROJECT
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 989 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Hays County
- Operator
- IPA OPERATIONS INC - HAYS
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2002
- EIA plant ID
- 55144
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 5,417 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 62%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 29.7813, -97.9900
HAYS ENERGY PROJECT, a 989 MW Natural Gas power plant in Hays County, Texas. Operated by IPA OPERATIONS INC - HAYS, commissioned 2002.
How HAYS ENERGY PROJECT compares
With 989 MW of capacity, HAYS ENERGY PROJECT ranks 28th among the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and 17th of the 134 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.5% of Texas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 92nd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2002, it is newer than 52% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 989 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 5,417 GWh in 2024 (a 62% capacity factor), up 56% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOP, INC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 8 operating power plants totaling 2,007 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is GUADALUPE GENERATING STATION (1,088 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is CyrusOne Austin (Met 2) in Austin, about 34.2 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
HAYS ENERGY PROJECT is a 989 MW natural gas power plant in Hays County, TX, operated by IPA OPERATIONS INC - HAYS, commissioned in 2002. Hays County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.3 of 5 at the 83rd national percentile. Hail is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 86th 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.
Hays County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | 3.9 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 62nd | 3.5 of 5 | 3.5 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 0.33 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | 0.04 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 10.2 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 14th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.54 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 11th | 1.4 of 5 | 49.0 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Hays 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 Hays 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.