Home / North America / United States of America / Bethlehem Energy Center

Bethlehem Energy Center

Gas power plant in New York, United States of America. Approximate location 42.5942, -73.7638.

GasNew YorkUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

Bethlehem Energy Center is a 893 MW gas power station in New York, United States of America. It is operated by PSEG Power New York Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 4,544 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.3 million homes. It ranks #745 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2005, it is around 21 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 2,273,112 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 530k 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).

893Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
4,544GWh reported / yr
1,298,428homes powered
2,273,112t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
2005commissioned (~21 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0002539.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBethlehem Energy Center WRI
CountryUnited States of America · New York WRI
Coordinates42.5942, -73.7638 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity893 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerPSEG Power New York Inc WRI
Commissioned2005 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr4,544 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions2,273,112 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#745 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#272 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers7.37× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,298,428 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.8°C · HDD 3,572 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 31/100 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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000402221); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 893 MW, Bethlehem Energy Center 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.

2,273,112 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

530kpassenger cars driven for a year
296khomes' yearly energy use
38 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: 0 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 4,544 GWh20195k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by PSEG Power New York Inc.

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 42.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.8°Cannual mean temp
3,572heating degree-days (base 18°C)
254cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
63 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -5 °CJF: -4 °CFM: 2 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 22 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 4 °CND: -2 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 45% 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: 77/100 — 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 thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
31/100environmental-severity index
27.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
216 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 #272 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 42.5942, -73.7638 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Bethlehem Energy Center?

Bethlehem Energy Center is a 893 MW source-record gas power plant in New York, United States of America, commissioned in 2005.

How much electricity does Bethlehem Energy Center generate?

Bethlehem Energy Center generates about 4,544 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Bethlehem Energy Center power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,298,428 homes.

Who operates Bethlehem Energy Center?

Bethlehem Energy Center is operated by PSEG Power New York Inc.

How much CO₂ does Bethlehem Energy Center emit?

Bethlehem Energy Center has measured emissions of about 2,273,112 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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