NICHOLS
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 475 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Potter County
- Operator
- SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1960
- EIA plant ID
- 3484
- Coordinates
- 35.2834, -101.7464
NICHOLS, a 475 MW Natural Gas power plant in Potter County, Texas. Operated by SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO, commissioned 1960.
Weather peril exposure
NICHOLS is a 475 MW natural gas power plant in Potter County, TX, operated by SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO, commissioned in 1960. Potter County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 5.0 of 5 at the 99th national percentile. Hail is the leading peril, rated Very High by FEMA at the 100th 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.
Potter County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Very High | 100th | 5.0 of 5 | 8.4 |
| Winter weather | Very High | 96th | 4.9 of 5 | 10.7 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 89th | 4.5 of 5 | 0.77 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | 3.2 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | 49.2 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.36 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | 2.0 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 2.0 |
Perils not assessed in Potter 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 |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Potter 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.