East Bend Generating Station
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East Bend Generating Station is an operating power station of at least 669-megawatts (MW) in Rabbit Hash, Boone, Kentucky, United States with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| East Bend Generating Station | Rabbit Hash, Boone, Kentucky, United States | 38.904169, -84.851336 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- 3, Unit 2: 38.904169, -84.851336
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year | Equipment | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Announced[2] | fossil gas: natural gas[2] | 664[2] | combined cycle[2] | 2039 (planned)[2] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 2, timepoint 1 | Operating | coal: bituminous[3] | 669.3 | subcritical | 1981 | – | – | no |
| Unit 2, timepoint 2 | Pre-construction[4][2] | fossil liquids: diesel, coal: bituminous[3][2] | 600[5] | steam turbine[5] | 2030 (planned)[2] | 2038 (planned)[2] | – | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc [100%][2] | Duke Energy Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2, timepoint 1 | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc [100%][2] | Duke Energy Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2, timepoint 2 | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc [100%][2] | Duke Energy Corp [100.0%] |
Unit-level fuel conversion details:
Unit 2: Conversion in pre-construction phase from coal to fossil liquids in 2030.
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic
Impacts
Potential emissions and details on the project's status and permit applications can be viewed on Oil and Gas Watch page here.
The Oil and Gas Watch database, created by Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), is a free, public-facing tool designed to track the rapid expansion of fossil fuel and petrochemical infrastructure in the United States. Oil and Gas Watch maps new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects across the country and monitors each project’s construction status so the public can stay informed about major oil and gas developments being proposed in their communities. We track key environmental approvals companies must obtain before starting construction or operations and provide access to thousands of government records and permits unearthed by our analysts.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
In June 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) allocated US$33.4 million under the Defense Production Act to upgrade East Bend Station. According to the DOE, the upgrades would “bolster the plant’s operational flexibility, enhance overall efficiency, and boost generation capacity.”[6][7]
Emissions Data
- 2024 Gross Load (MWh): 2,519,814[8]
- 2024 SO2 Mass (short tons): 1,814[8]
- 2024 CO2 Mass (short tons): 2,778,103[8]
- 2024 NOx Mass (short tons): 2,094[8]
- 2023 Mercury emissions (Hg, lb): 15.16[9][10]
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from the East Bend Generating Station
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[11] The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma-related episodes and asthma-related emergency room visits, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, peneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal-fired power plants. Fine particle pollution is formed from a combination of soot, acid droplets, and heavy metals formed from sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and soot. Among those particles, the most dangerous are the smallest (smaller than 2.5 microns), which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities.
The table below estimates the death and illness attributable to the East Bend Generating Station. Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[12]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from the East Bend Generating Station
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 11 | $78,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 16 | $1,800,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 180 | $9,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 7 | $180,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 6 | $2,900,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 10 | $4,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed February 2011
Coal Waste Sites
- East Bend Generating Station Ash Pond
- East Bend Generating Station FGD Pond East
- East Bend Generating Station FGD Pond West
Citizen groups
- Coal River Mountain Watch
- Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
- Kentucky Environmental Foundation
- Kentucky Riverkeeper
- New Power
- Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea, KY, phone: (859) 986-7565
- Sierra Club Cumberland Chapter
Conversion to Oil and Gas Generation
In its 2024 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), Duke Energy Kentucky proposed converting the East Bend Station to operate on diesel fuel oil in addition to coal in 2030. According to the company, this approach would help the utility meet the requirements of the EPA’s updated Clean Air Act Section 111 while enabling a gradual transition away from coal. Under this strategy, East Bend could continue operating through 2039. If the Section 111 update were repealed, adding diesel fuel oil capability would still enhance fuel flexibility and help the plant remain competitive under different market conditions. The 2024 IRP also outlines plans to build a new combined-cycle unit (Unit 3) in 2039 to replace coal generation at East Bend.[13]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://www.google.com/maps/place/38%C2%B054'15.0%22N+84%C2%B051'04.8%22W/@38.904169,-84.8539109,889m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d38.904169!4d-84.851336!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTExMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 (PDF) https://psc.ky.gov/pscecf/2024-00197/e.rolfes-adkins%40duke-energy.com/09092024025857/DEK_IRP_PUBLIC_06212024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.energy.gov/hgeo/defense-production-act-title-iii-project-selections-coal-fleet-projects-and-west-gateway.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Annual Electric Power Industry Report, Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". www.eia.gov. 2025-09-09. Archived from the original on 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
- ↑ “Defense Production Act Title III Project Selections: Coal Fleet Projects and West Gateway Terminal,” U.S. Department of Energy, archived June 5, 2026
- ↑ “Trump administration announces $850M to modernize US coal capacity, build 2 new plants,” Utility Dive, June 5, 2026
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 EIA (2024). "Clean Air Markets Program Data (CAMD)". Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ↑ Clean Air and Power Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (February 2024). "Annual data 2022 vs. 2023". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ↑ Toxics Release Inventory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (October 2024). "2023 Basic Plus Data". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
- ↑ "Duke Energy Kentucky 2024 IRP" (PDF). psc.ky.gov. June 4, 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
