SIM GIDEON
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 639 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Bastrop County
- Operator
- LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1965
- EIA plant ID
- 3601
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Steam Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,043 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 19%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 30.1455, -97.2706
SIM GIDEON, a 639 MW Natural Gas power plant in Bastrop County, Texas. Operated by LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY, commissioned 1965.
How SIM GIDEON compares
With 639 MW of capacity, SIM GIDEON ranks 58th among the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and 44th of the 134 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.0% of Texas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 237th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1965, it is older than 88% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY, runs 11 operating plants in Texas totaling 3,912 MW. It shares Bastrop County with 2 other operating plants, BASTROP ENERGY CENTER and LOST PINES 1 POWER PROJECT.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 623 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas steam turbine technology. Net generation was 1,043 GWh in 2024 (a 19% capacity factor), up 23% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1965 and 1972.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by ONCOR ELECTRIC DELIVERY CO., under 0.1 miles away. Another 6 operating power plants totaling 2,497 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BASTROP ENERGY CENTER (728 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles is one mapped data center, CyrusOne Austin (Met 2) in Austin, about 25.9 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
SIM GIDEON is a 639 MW natural gas power plant in Bastrop County, TX, operated by LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1965. Bastrop County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.6 of 5 at the 66th national percentile. Hail is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 72nd 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.
Bastrop County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 3.1 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 2.5 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 59th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.48 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 3.1 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 46th | 2.8 of 5 | 10.5 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.62 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 51.8 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Bastrop 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 Bastrop 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.