Cedar Bayou 4 — United States of America

Cedar Bayou 4 is a 535.5 MW gas power station in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by NRG Cedar Bayou Development Company LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 619 GWh, it can supply roughly 177k homes. It ranks #1176 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2009, it is around 17 years old — relatively modern. 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).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056806.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000401589; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 535.5 MW, Cedar Bayou 4 is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121.2 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.

Key facts

Load factor

13%, from 619 GWh of reported generation; the median for 1622 gas plants in United States of America that report generation is 26%

Generation trend

1,038 GWh in 2013 and 619 GWh in 2019 (−40%)

Highest and lowest year

2017: 1,431 GWh; 2019: 619 GWh

Share of United States of America gas capacity

less than 0.1% of 789,950 MW across 2,165 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

1,441 of 1,973 dated gas plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

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

Owner

Operated by NRG Cedar Bayou Development Company 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 humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 29.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 75% 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: 22/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~4% 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

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

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 #560 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

• Cedar Bayou · Gas · 1,530 MW · Texas
• Baytown Energy Center · Gas · 932.9 MW · Texas
• ExxonMobil Baytown Refinery · Gas · 177.3 MW · Texas
• Enterprise Products Operating · Gas · 20.7 MW · Texas
• ExxonMobil Baytown Turbine · Gas · 381.8 MW · Texas
• Mont Belvieu Cogeneration Unit · Gas · 15 MW · Texas

Location

Coordinates 29.7516, -94.9231 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions