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Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project

Gas power plant in Colorado, United States of America. Approximate location 39.6692, -105.0018.

GasColoradoUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project is a 194 MW gas power station in Colorado, United States of America. It is operated by SWG Arapahoe LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 208 GWh, it can supply roughly 60k homes. It ranks #2081 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2000, it is around 26 years old — long-established. Its annual emissions of 107,556 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 25k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 40.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

194Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
208GWh reported / yr
59,542homes powered
107,556t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
2000commissioned (~26 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055200.

Data status

Known data

FacilityArapahoe Combustion Turbine Project WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Colorado WRI
Coordinates39.6692, -105.0018 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity194 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSWG Arapahoe LLC WRI
Commissioned2000 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr208 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions107,556 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2081 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#924 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.60× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent59,542 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.9°C · HDD 3,207 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 29/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 194 MW, Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

107,556 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

25kpassenger cars driven for a year
14khomes' yearly energy use
1.8 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per US EPA GHGRP (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2013: 22 GWh20132014: 193 GWh20142015: 118 GWh20152016: 59 GWh20162017: 184 GWh20172018: 251 GWh20182019: 208 GWh2019251 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by SWG Arapahoe LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.9°Cannual mean temp
3,207heating degree-days (base 18°C)
264cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,749 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 13 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 22 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 4 °CND: 0 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 30% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 68/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
29/100environmental-severity index
23.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
1225 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #924 largest gas power plant of 2165 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 2165 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 789,950 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 39.6692, -105.0018 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project?

Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project is a 194 MW source-record gas power plant in Colorado, United States of America, commissioned in 2000.

How much electricity does Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project generate?

Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project generates about 208 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 59,542 homes.

Who operates Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project?

Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project is operated by SWG Arapahoe LLC.

How much CO₂ does Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project emit?

Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Project has measured emissions of about 107,556 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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