Blythe Energy Inc

Gas power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 33.6157, -114.6865.

GasCaliforniaUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

Blythe Energy Inc is a 591 MW gas power station in California, United States of America. It is operated by AltaGas Blythe Operations Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 1,469 GWh, it can supply roughly 420k homes. It ranks #1142 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 674,910 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 157k 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).

591Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
1,469GWh reported / yr
419,600homes powered
674,910t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
2004commissioned (~22 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055295.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBlythe Energy Inc WRI
CountryUnited States of America · California WRI
Coordinates33.6157, -114.6865 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity591 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerAltaGas Blythe Operations Inc WRI
Commissioned2004 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr1,469 GWh/yr WRI
Observed long-tail demand4 GSC impressions (blythe energy, blythe energy center) Google Search Console
CO₂ emissions674,910 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#1142 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#501 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers4.88× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent419,600 calculated from reported generation
Climate22.3°C · HDD 555 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 44/100 derived from coordinates

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 L100000401701); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 591 MW, Blythe Energy Inc 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.

674,910 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

157kpassenger cars driven for a year
88khomes' yearly energy use
11 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: 1,837 GWh20132014: 1,688 GWh20142015: 1,308 GWh20152016: 863 GWh20162017: 1,739 GWh20172018: 2,696 GWh20182019: 1,469 GWh20193k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by AltaGas Blythe Operations 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 hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 33.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

22.3°Cannual mean temp
555heating degree-days (base 18°C)
2,143cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
85 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 12 °CJF: 15 °CFM: 18 °CMA: 21 °CAM: 26 °CMJ: 30 °CJJ: 34 °CJA: 33 °CAS: 29 °CSO: 23 °CON: 16 °CND: 12 °CD34 °C

Heating degree-days here run 77% below 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: 21/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~5% 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
44/100environmental-severity index
22.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
211 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 #501 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 33.6157, -114.6865 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Blythe Energy Inc?

Blythe Energy Inc is a 591 MW source-record gas power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 2004.

How much electricity does Blythe Energy Inc generate?

Blythe Energy Inc generates about 1,469 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Blythe Energy Inc power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 419,600 homes.

Who operates Blythe Energy Inc?

Blythe Energy Inc is operated by AltaGas Blythe Operations Inc.

How much CO₂ does Blythe Energy Inc emit?

Blythe Energy Inc has measured emissions of about 674,910 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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