WILKES
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 882 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Marion County
- Operator
- SOUTHWESTERN ELECTRIC POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1964
- EIA plant ID
- 3478
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Steam Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,190 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 15%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 32.8482, -94.5480
WILKES, an 882 MW Natural Gas power plant in Marion County, Texas. Operated by SOUTHWESTERN ELECTRIC POWER CO, commissioned 1964.
How WILKES compares
With 882 MW of capacity, WILKES ranks 37th among the 307 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Texas and 26th of the 134 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.3% of Texas's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 134th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1964, it is older than 89% of the 303 operating Texas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, SOUTHWESTERN ELECTRIC POWER CO, runs 3 operating plants in Texas totaling 3,057 MW.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 882 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas steam turbine technology. Net generation was 1,190 GWh in 2024 (a 15% capacity factor), up 15% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1964 and 1971.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by UPSHUR RURAL ELEC COOP CORP, under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 1,679 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WELSH (1,674 MW, Coal).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
WILKES is an 882 MW natural gas power plant in Marion County, TX, operated by SOUTHWESTERN ELECTRIC POWER CO, commissioned in 1964. Marion County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.6 of 5 at the 90th national percentile. Ice storm is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 98th 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.
Marion County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 91st | 4.6 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 89th | 4.6 of 5 | 6.3 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 19.7 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 60.1 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | 0.37 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | 3.2 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 62nd | 3.5 of 5 | 0.21 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Marion 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 Marion 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.