A diverse generation fleet

We own or have rights to about 3,570 megawatts of power – enough for LCRA and its wholesale electric customers to provide electricity for more than 1 million people. We can provide reliable and cost-effective electricity because of our diverse generation portfolio, which includes:

Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant

Year built: 2014
Net maximum capacity: 556 megawatts
Fuel: Natural gas, combined-cycle
Location: Horseshoe Bay, Llano County
Owners: LCRA and the City of San Marcos, which owns a small percentage of the plant

More: The original Ferguson Power Plant, built in 1974, went offline in September 2013 before the new Ferguson facility began operating in 2014.
Read a fact sheet on the Ferguson plant.

Fayette Power Project

Year built: 1979 (Unit 1), 1980 (Unit 2), 1988 (Unit 3)
Net maximum capacity: Unit 1 can produce 601 megawatts. Unit 2 can produce 601 megawatts. Unit 3 can produce 440 megawatts.
Fuel: Low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming
Location: East of La Grange, Fayette County
Owners:
 LCRA and Austin Energy, which co-owns Units 1 and 2

More: See reports and records regarding coal-combustion residuals.

Winchester Power Park

Year built: 2010
Net maximum capacity: 184 megawatts
Fuel: Natural gas
Location: Winchester, north of La Grange in Fayette County
Owner: LCRA

More: This peaker power plant produces power when it is needed most, typically during early morning, late afternoon and evening hours when residents use electric appliances and heat or cool their homes. The four turbines are jet engines and can power up to full capacity in about 10 minutes.

Lost Pines 1 Power Project

Year built: 2001
Net capacity: 535 megawatts
Fuel: Natural gas, combined-cycle
Location: East of Bastrop, Bastrop County; shares the Lost Pines Power Park with the Sim Gideon Power Plant
Owners: LCRA and GenTex Power Corporation, an LCRA affiliated corporation

More: Lake Bastrop near South Shore Park provides the plant’s cooling water.

Sim Gideon Power Plant

Year built: 1965 (Unit 1), 1968 (Unit 2), 1971 ( Unit 3)
Net maximum capacity: 620 megawatts
Fuel: Three traditional gas-fired thermal steam units
Location: Five miles east of Bastrop; shares the Lost Pines Power Park with the Lost Pines 1 Power Project
Owner: LCRA

More: Lake Bastrop near South Shore Park provides the plant’s cooling water.

Buchanan Dam

Year completed: 1938
Generating capacity: 54.9 megawatts
Fuel: Hydroelectric generation
Location: Burnet and Llano counties

Read more about Buchanan Dam and Lake Buchanan.

Inks Dam

Year completed: 1938
Generating capacity: 13.8 megawatts
Fuel: Hydroelectric generation
Location: Llano and Burnet counties

Read more about Inks Dam and Inks Lake.

Wirtz Dam

Year completed: 1951
Generating capacity: 60 megawatts
Fuel: Hydroelectric generation
Location: Burnet and Llano counties

Read more about Wirtz Dam and Lake LBJ.

Starcke Dam

Year completed: 1951
Generating capacity: 41.4 megawatts
Fuel: Hydroelectric generation
Location: Burnet County

Read more about Starcke Dam and Lake Marble Falls.

Mansfield Dam

Year completed: 1942
Generating capacity: 108 megawatts
Fuel: Hydroelectric generation
Location: Travis and Burnet counties

Read more about Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis.

Tom Miller Dam

Year completed: 1940
Generating capacity: 17 megawatts
Fuel: Hydroelectric generation
Location: Travis County

Read more about Tom Miller Dam and Lake Austin.

Hilbig Gas Storage Facility

Location: Rockne, Bastrop County
Owner: LCRA

More: Hilbig is an underground natural gas storage facility for LCRA’s power plants. It was originally an ancient volcano that was sealed by an outer layer of shale.

Smithville Rail Fleet Maintenance Facility

Location: Smithville, Bastrop County
Owner: LCRA

More: The Smithville team maintains more than 1,100 railcars that transport low-sulfur coal from Wyoming mines to the Fayette Power Project, repairing and maintaining an average of eight railcars a day.

Additional resources

LCRA owns a share of the coal-fired Sandy Creek Energy Station in McLennan County.

Providing clean power

LCRA generates hydroelectric power at each of the Highland Lakes dams. Though once a significant portion of LCRA’s generation portfolio, hydroelectric generation now is only used as a byproduct of river management or during a power emergency.

LCRA recently has increased its purchase of renewable energy, adding 141 MW from the Juno Solar project in Borden County in 2021. This project is in addition to the 10 MW LCRA began purchasing from the Mars solar project in south Texas in 2019,

LCRA also operates its electric generating facilities efficiently and in an environmentally responsible manner, and has committed millions of dollars to further improve emissions of its power plants.

Supporting growth in Texas

LCRA is building a new peaker power plant to provide about 190 megawatts of dispatchable power to the Texas power grid. The natural gas-powered plant in Caldwell County is expected to be operational in 2025. Find out more in the Frequently Asked Questions.