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Central Utility Plant Cincinnati

Gas power plant in Ohio, United States of America. Approximate location 39.1345, -84.5094.

GasOhioUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Central Utility Plant Cincinnati is a 47 MW gas power plant in Ohio, United States of America. It is operated by University of Cincinnati. Based on reported annual generation of 199 GWh, it can supply roughly 57k homes. It ranks #3819 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 48,265 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 11k 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).

47Source-backed capacity
199GWh reported / yr
56,914homes powered
48,265t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2004commissioned (~22 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0057908.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCentral Utility Plant Cincinnati WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Ohio WRI
Coordinates39.1345, -84.5094 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity47 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerUniversity of Cincinnati WRI
Commissioned2004 WRI
GWh reported / yr199 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions48,265 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3819 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1396 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.39× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent56,914 calculated from reported generation
Climate12.2°C · HDD 2,634 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 34/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
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: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 47 MW, Central Utility Plant Cincinnati is below the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). 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.

~48,265 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

11kpassenger cars driven for a year
6.3khomes' yearly energy use
804ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Reported generation trend

2013: 0 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 85 GWh20152016: 172 GWh20162017: 203 GWh20172018: 196 GWh20182019: 199 GWh2019203 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by University of Cincinnati.

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.

12.2°Cannual mean temp
2,634heating degree-days (base 18°C)
548cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
201 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 12 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 22 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 24 °CAS: 20 °CSO: 13 °CON: 7 °CND: 2 °CD24 °C

Heating degree-days here run 7% 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: 53/100 — 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)
34/100environmental-severity index
25.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
335 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 #1396 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 39.1345, -84.5094 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Central Utility Plant Cincinnati?

Central Utility Plant Cincinnati is a 47 MW source-record gas power plant in Ohio, United States of America, commissioned in 2004.

How much electricity does Central Utility Plant Cincinnati generate?

Central Utility Plant Cincinnati generates about 199 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Central Utility Plant Cincinnati power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 56,914 homes.

Who operates Central Utility Plant Cincinnati?

Central Utility Plant Cincinnati is operated by University of Cincinnati.

How much CO₂ does Central Utility Plant Cincinnati emit?

Central Utility Plant Cincinnati has modelled emissions of about 48,265 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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