Coleto Creek Power Plant

A Coal-to-Natural-Gas Fuel Conversion in Goliad County

Coleto Creek Power Plant near Goliad has supplied electricity to Texas for decades. The plant was scheduled to retire in 2027. Instead, Vistra is converting it from coal to natural gas, preserving approximately 630 megawatts of dispatchable generation. That means electricity supply for Texas along with jobs, economic activity, and a tax base in Goliad County that was expected to end. Conversion work is underway and on schedule.

The Conversion & Preservation of Power

Capacity Preserved

630MW

Power the conversion project keeps on the ERCOT grid.

Operating Since

1980

Powering Texas for decades.

Prior Retirement Date

2027

The conversion keeps it generating instead.

Status

Underway

Completion expected by the end of 2026.

Conversion Instead of Retirement

When a plant retires, its capacity leaves the grid, and the local community is impacted.

Converting Coleto Creek avoids that, which is why Vistra proposed the innovative solution. The generating equipment, site, and grid connection are already there. The conversion reuses some transmission and interconnection assets already in place and changes the fuel the plant uses to generate electricity. This investment keeps approximately 630 MW on the grid that was otherwise scheduled to leave it, and converts the plant to a new natural gas source, far sooner than building new generation could.

It also keeps in Goliad County what a retirement would have removed: an operating plant, jobs to operate it, and the property tax base supporting local public services and governments.

What a Conversion Involves

Converting a coal unit to natural gas means modifying the generating equipment itself. Vistra identified natural gas pipeline capacity during project planning. Reusing the plant, its turbine hall, switchyard, and property means a facility with decades of life ahead can keep delivering to the Texas grid.

Coleto Creek at a Glance

Fuel sourceCoal, converting to natural gas

Current capacity650 MW (coal)

Planned capacity after conversionApproximately 630 MW

Project typeCoal-to-natural-gas conversion

Prior expected retirement date2027

Expected completionBy the end of 2026

Began operations1980

LocationGoliad County, Texas

Power marketERCOT

Questions About Coleto Creek

What is happening at the Coleto Creek Power Plant?

Vistra is converting Coleto Creek, in Goliad County, Texas, from coal to natural gas. The plant had been scheduled to retire in 2027. The conversion instead preserves approximately 630 megawatts of dispatchable generation on the ERCOT grid and is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

Is Coleto Creek closing?

No. The plant had been scheduled to retire in 2027, but Vistra is converting it to natural gas rather than closing the facility. The conversion keeps the plant operating and maintains approximately 630 megawatts of dispatchable generation capacity.

Where is Coleto Creek Power Plant?

Coleto Creek is in Goliad County, Texas, near the city of Goliad.

What fuel does Coleto Creek use?

Coleto Creek runs on coal today. Work to convert the plant to natural gas is underway, with completion expected by the end of 2026.

How much power will Coleto Creek produce after the conversion?

Approximately 630 megawatts of dispatchable generation.

Why convert the plant instead of building a new one?

The site, the generating equipment, and the grid connection already exist. Converting reuses some of the transmission and interconnection assets already in place, which brings capacity to the grid faster than developing a new facility, and it ensures jobs and tax base remain in Goliad County.