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Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory

Biomass power plant in Idaho, United States of America. Approximate location 42.4249, -114.2292.

BiomassIdahoUnited States of America

Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory is a 2 MW biomass power plant in Idaho, United States of America. It is operated by AgPower DCD LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 11 GWh, it can supply roughly 3.1k homes. It ranks #8591 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2008, it is around 18 years old — relatively modern. In context, biomass supplies about 1.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

2Legacy source-record capacity
11GWh reported / yr
3,057homes powered
2008commissioned (~18 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0057344.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCargill Dry Creek Biofactory WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Idaho WRI
Coordinates42.4249, -114.2292 WRI
FuelBiomass WRI
MW installed capacity2 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerAgPower DCD LLC WRI
Commissioned2008 WRI
GWh reported / yr11 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#8591 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#140 of 184 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.13× · 18 MW median · 184 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent3,057 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.4°C · HDD 3,629 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 35/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsNot 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 2 MW, Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory is below the median biomass plant in United States of America (18 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 12 GWh20132014: 14 GWh20142015: 11 GWh20152016: 11 GWh20162017: 11 GWh20172018: 11 GWh201814 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by AgPower DCD LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.4°Cannual mean temp
3,629heating degree-days (base 18°C)
130cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,369 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -3 °CJF: 0 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 7 °CAM: 12 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 20 °CJA: 20 °CAS: 15 °CSO: 9 °CON: 2 °CND: -2 °CD20 °C

Heating degree-days here run 48% 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: 78/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

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)
35/100environmental-severity index
23.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
965 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 #140 largest biomass power plant of 184 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 184 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 6,324 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 42.4249, -114.2292 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory?

Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory is a 2 MW source-record biomass power plant in Idaho, United States of America, commissioned in 2008.

How much electricity does Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory generate?

Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory generates about 11 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 3,057 homes.

Who operates Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory?

Cargill Dry Creek Biofactory is operated by AgPower DCD LLC.

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