NICHOLS

How NICHOLS compares

With 475 MW of capacity, NICHOLS ranks 79th among the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and 64th of the 134 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.7% of Texas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 343rd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1960, it is older than 91% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO, runs 5 operating plants in Texas totaling 3,559 MW. It shares Potter County with one other operating plant, HARRINGTON.

EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 475 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas steam turbine technology. Net generation was 1,729 GWh in 2024 (a 41% capacity factor), about 2.4 times its 2022 output. Its generators came online between 1960 and 1968.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is POTTER (345 kV), about 10.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE CO., under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 1,400 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is HARRINGTON (1,080 MW, Coal).

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