Gerald Gentleman Station


Gerald Gentleman Station is Nebraska's largest electricity generating plant. It is located at, just south of Sutherland, Nebraska. The plant, owned and operated by Nebraska Public Power District, consists of two coal-fired generating units, which together have the capability to generate 1,365 megawatts of power.

History

The construction of Gerald Gentleman station began in May 1973 and the first unit entered commercial service in April 1979 at a cost of $335 million. The construction of the second unit began in June 1977 and it began its commercial service in January 1982 with an additional expenditure of $287 million. The facility is named after Gerald Gentleman, a Platte Center, Nebraska native.

Coal supply

comes from Wyoming's Powder River Basin by railroad, using Union Pacific and BNSF Railway lines as well as tracks that were built for this purpose by NPPD. At full capacity, Gerald Gentleman Station burns as much as 800 tons of coal per hour.

Water use

The waste heat is dumped into man-made Sutherland Reservoir, fed by the Sutherland Canal, which originates at Kingsley Dam on North Platte River.