Chapter 1 · the atlas

The co-location atlas

Every U.S. fossil plant rated 100 MW+ whose last unit retires between 2024 and 2030 — recent enough that the site's transmission tie, gas tap, and on-site equipment may still be reusable (though transfer rules vary by RTO and utility). Scored on four dimensions: distance to high-voltage transmission, distance to interstate gas, site size, and recent capacity factor.

Why this window: a decade of fossil retirements

Plants that retired before 2024 aren't on the map below — on-site equipment and interconnection arrangements generally don't survive 5+ years of dormancy, making reuse less likely. But they prove the trend is durable. Across …, … U.S. fossil plants ≥ 100 MW retired, totalling …. Their median distance to a ≥230 kV substation was … and to an interstate pipeline … — the same site characteristics the prospect set below relies on.

Historical fossil retirements by year and fuel

Stacked bars: total retiring nameplate MW per year, split by fuel. Data: EIA-860 generator-level retirement dates.

The prospect set

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… plants visible
Retiring fossil plants ≥100 MW, sized by MW and colored by readiness score
Circle size = retiring nameplate MW · color = readiness score (0–100). Click any pin for the full site card.
How readiness is scored. A 0–100 composite: 35% transmission proximity (nearest HV substation + highest line voltage within 10 mi), 25% gas access (nearest interstate pipeline + pipeline miles within 25 mi), 20% site size, 20% operational headroom (lower recent CF = higher score). Missing inputs score neutral, not zero. Open any detail card for the per-component breakdown — see also the methodology page. This is a screening tool, not a feasibility study. Factors not captured here include substation thermal capacity, transmission congestion, water availability, fiber, zoning, land tenure, and ownership status.
What this map doesn't show
  • Substation thermal capacity. Distance and voltage are necessary but not sufficient. The hosting substation may be loaded near its rating already.
  • Recapture rules. An interconnect right at a retiring bus isn't automatically transferable; rules vary by RTO and utility.
  • Land, water, fiber, zoning. Not in the data. A great score here is only the start.
  • Plants in Alaska and Hawaii. The Albers USA projection drops them from the map; they remain in the list.