US Coal Power Plants

Coal plants in the 50 states and DC hold 179 gigawatts of nameplate capacity as of August 2026 — what the equipment could produce running flat out, not what it generated. The 191 coal plants across the country account for 12.7% of all US generating capacity. The fleet is concentrated but not narrowly: nine states hold half the total capacity, while 39 states have at least some coal generation.

Texas leads with 17,853 megawatts across 12 plants, or 10% of the national coal fleet, though coal makes up only 8.7% of that state's own capacity. Indiana ranks second at 13,789 megawatts in 11 plants, with coal accounting for 39.9% of its generation infrastructure. West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois round out the top tier, with coal far more dominant in West Virginia — representing 81.5% of the state's total capacity — than in the others.

The largest coal plant is W A Parish in Texas with 4,008 megawatts across 9 units, followed by Bowen in Georgia at 3,499 megawatts and Gibson in Indiana at 3,340 megawatts. The fleet spans from Neenah Paper Munising Mill in Michigan, which came online in January 1930, to Sandy Creek Energy Station in Texas, which entered service in May 2013.