Prairie State Generating Station — United States of America

Prairie State Generating Station is a 1,766 MW coal power station in Illinois, United States of America. It is operated by Prairie State Generating Co LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 12,053 GWh, it can supply roughly 3.4 million homes. It ranks #237 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2012, it is around 14 years old — relatively modern. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055856.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103872; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,766 MW, Prairie State Generating Station is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

78%, from 12,053 GWh of reported generation; the median for 244 coal plants in United States of America that report generation is 41%

Generation trend

8,350 GWh in 2013 and 12,053 GWh in 2019 (+44%)

Highest and lowest year

2019: 12,053 GWh; 2013: 8,350 GWh

Share of United States of America coal capacity

0.3% of 621,194 MW across 802 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

728 of 745 dated coal plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Prairie State Generating Co LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 2% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 51/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #89 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Prairie State Energy Campus · Coal · 1,766 MW · Illinois
• Baldwin Energy Complex · Coal · 1,894.1 MW · Illinois
• Baldwin Energy Station · Coal · 1,894.1 MW · Illinois
• Freeburg · Oil · 15.7 MW · Illinois
• Red Bud · Oil · 15 MW · Illinois
• Pinckneyville · Gas · 380 MW · Illinois

Location

Coordinates 38.2792, -89.6669 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions