At Liberty – and Empire District Electric Company long before that – a diverse energy mix has been the backbone of delivering safe, reliable service to more than 205,000 customer connections in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Utilizing a variety of traditional fuel sources and renewable energy sources allows us more flexibility in how we generate and deliver energy amid ever-changing environmental, regulatory, technological, and political landscapes.
Renewable energy continues to become a more important slice of our generation capacity. What wind, solar, and hydroelectricity have in common is they don’t require fuel to create energy. But when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, traditional fuel sources are always there to continue providing service to our customers. (Please note: Generation capacity may vary based on operating conditions and resource availability.)
Every three years, Liberty is required to file an integrated resource plan with the Public Service Commission that looks forward to the next 30 years of energy generation.
We’re continuing to diversify our generation mix and running different models to not only stay at the forefront of utility operations, but to enhance how we serve our customers.
All of this is made possible by our hard-working team members at our generation plants. No matter the time of day or weather conditions, every time you flip a light switch, there’s someone at the other end working to keep that light on.
You can learn more about our generation facilities below.
Generation capacity: 316 MW
The important role the Riverton plant plays for Liberty’s electric service can be traced back to 1905. The operation was soon folded into the Empire District Electric Company, which formed in 1909. Generation capacity: 316 MW
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Generation capacity: 464 MW
Located west of Joplin, the State Line Power Plant was established in 1995 with a 101 MW combustion turbine, which was powered by natural gas and fuel oil.
Generation capacity: 290 MW
Construction began in 2002, utilizing two 50 MW FT8s, which used jet engine technology to produce efficient power with very low emissions when fueled by natural gas.
Generation capacity: 16 MW
In 1911, the U.S. Congress approved the construction of Powersite Dam. In 1992, Empire was granted a 30-year license to operate the hydroelectric plant.
Generation capacity: 2.25 MW
Liberty’s 2.25 MW solar farm in southern Jasper County became fully operation in early 2021. Covering around 11 acres, it includes 5,700 bidirectional panels that capture sunlight to convert into direct current electricity.
Generation capacity: ~ 600 MW
Liberty's generation mix includes includes energy drawn from three wind-farm locations: Norrthfork Ridge, near Mindenmines, Missouri; Kinds Point, near Lockwood, Missouri; and Neosho Ridge Wind, near Galesburg, Kansas.
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A need for additional generation capacity led Empire to purchase a 12-percent interest in Unit 1 at the coal-fired Iatan Generation Station in Weston, Missouri, in 1978.
In 2006, Empire signed an agreement to become a partner in the Plum Point Energy Station near Osceola, Arkansas. Today, Liberty has a 7-percent interest in Unit 2 at the plant, providing around 51 MW of capacity to customers.