Blue Valley

Gas power plant in Missouri, United States of America. Approximate location 39.0919, -94.3261.

GasMissouriUnited States of AmericaSteam

Blue Valley is a 115 MW gas power station in Missouri, United States of America. It is operated by City of Independence - (MO). Based on reported annual generation of 21 GWh, it can supply roughly 5.9k homes. It ranks #2630 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1961, it is around 65 years old — an older, legacy facility. 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).

115Legacy source-record capacity
21GWh reported / yr
5,942homes powered
1961commissioned (~65 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0002132.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBlue Valley WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Missouri WRI
Coordinates39.0919, -94.3261 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity115 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCity of Independence - (MO) WRI
Commissioned1961 WRI
TechnologySteam WRI
GWh reported / yr21 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions8,320 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#2630 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1101 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.95× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent5,942 calculated from reported generation
Climate12.3°C · HDD 2,700 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 36/100 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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 115 MW, Blue Valley is around the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as Steam. 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.

Reported generation trend

2013: 85 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 97 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 21 GWh201997 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by City of Independence - (MO).

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 humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

12.3°Cannual mean temp
2,700heating degree-days (base 18°C)
652cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
259 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -3 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 12 °CAM: 18 °CMJ: 23 °CJJ: 26 °CJA: 25 °CAS: 20 °CSO: 14 °CON: 6 °CND: 0 °CD26 °C

Heating degree-days here run 10% 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: 55/100 — this site sits in the mid 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)
36/100environmental-severity index
28.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
678 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 #1101 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 39.0919, -94.3261 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Blue Valley?

Blue Valley is a 115 MW source-record gas power plant in Missouri, United States of America, commissioned in 1961.

How much electricity does Blue Valley generate?

Blue Valley generates about 21 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Blue Valley power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 5,942 homes.

Who operates Blue Valley?

Blue Valley is operated by City of Independence - (MO).

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