BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 342 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Wayne County
- Operator
- BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2001
- EIA plant ID
- 55284
- Generators
- 6
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 285 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 9.2%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 38.3443, -82.5938
BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT, a 342 MW Natural Gas power plant in Wayne County, West Virginia. Operated by BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT LLC, commissioned 2001.
How BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT compares
With 342 MW of capacity, BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT ranks 11th among the 31 operating power plants Bywatts maps in West Virginia and is the smallest of the 2 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 40% of West Virginia's operating Natural Gas capacity and 2.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 421st-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2001, it is newer than 64% of the 31 operating West Virginia plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Wayne County with one other operating plant, CEREDO GENERATING STATION.
EIA-860 lists 6 generators at the site with 353 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combustion turbine technology. Net generation was 285 GWh in 2024 (a 9.2% capacity factor), up 11% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is BAKER (765 kV), about 11.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by APPALACHIAN POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 3,024 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is HANGING ROCK ENERGY FACILITY (1,288 MW, Natural Gas).
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
Weather peril exposure
BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT is a 342 MW natural gas power plant in Wayne County, WV, operated by BIG SANDY PEAKER PLANT LLC, commissioned in 2001. Wayne County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.4 of 5 at the 34th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 99th 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.
Wayne County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 2.3 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.38 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 48.4 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 46th | 2.8 of 5 | 8.5 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 4.5 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 41st | 2.7 of 5 | 3.2 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.08 |
Perils not assessed in Wayne 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 Wayne 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.