W A PARISH

How W A PARISH compares

With 4,008 MW of capacity, W A PARISH is the largest of the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and the largest of the 12 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 22% of Texas's operating Coal capacity and 3.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1958, it is older than 92% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, NRG TEXAS POWER LLC, runs 6 operating plants in Texas totaling 9,170 MW. It shares Fort Bend County with 2 other operating plants, BRAZOS VALLEY GENERATING FACILITY and W.A. PARISH CARBON CAPTURE PLANT.

EIA-860 lists 9 generators at the site with 4,008 MW of nameplate capacity, mainly conventional steam coal technology. Net generation was 12,166 GWh in 2024 (a 35% capacity factor), down 7% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1958 and 1982.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is DOWNTOWN, about 24.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC, LLC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 6 operating power plants totaling 986 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BRAZOS VALLEY GENERATING FACILITY (676 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 4 mapped data centers; the nearest is Databank Houston Galleria (HOU5) in Houston, about 20.2 miles away.

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology