Luminant
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric utility, Mining, Energy production |
| Fate | Subsidiary of Vistra Corp (formerly Energy Future Holdings) |
| Headquarters | Texas , United States |
Area served | Texas |
| Products | Electricity generation and wholesale distribution, coal mining, construction, project development |
| Owner | Vistra Corp |
| Parent | Vistra Corp |
Luminant is an electric utility headquartered in Texas and operates as a fully owned subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corporation. Its business activities encompass electricity production and wholesale distribution, mining operations, construction, and project development. The firm manages a total generation capacity of 18,300 megawatts (MW) distributed among 20 power plants within Texas: 2,300 MW generated from nuclear energy at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, 5,800 MW derived from coal-fired facilities, with the balance supplied by natural gas. Additionally, Luminant is a major buyer of wind-generated electricity.
The company previously owned and managed three of the largest coal mines in Texas by output: Beckville Strip, Three Oaks Mine, and Oak Hill Strip. Beckville ceased operations in 2015, followed by Oak Hill's closure in 2016, which resulted in the termination of 77 mining jobs. In 2007, these mines produced over fourteen million short tons of coal. Luminant also runs the privately held Martin Lake Rail Line, which transports coal from Texas mines and the Powder River Basin via BNSF Railway to the Martin Lake Power Plant.
History
Commissioned in 2010, the Oak Grove Power Plant has a capacity of 1,600 MW and utilizes lignite coal sourced from the Kosse Mine.
In 2013, Luminant encountered legal disputes concerning air pollution violations at its Texas-based power stations. A federal court rejected its request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club alleging excessive particulate matter emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency initiated legal action against Luminant for unauthorized modifications at the Big Brown and Martin Lake coal plants following earlier violation notifications. Moreover, the Dallas County Medical Society appealed to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to impose stricter emission limits on Luminant’s Big Brown, Martin Creek Lake, and Monticello facilities due to health issues associated with coal emissions.
On April 29, 2014, Energy Future Holdings—the parent company of Luminant—submitted a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Vistra Corp is now the current parent company of Luminant, having succeeded Energy Future Holdings.