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Colorado Bend Energy Center

Gas power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 29.2878, -96.0683.

GasTexasUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSG

Colorado Bend Energy Center is a 580 MW gas power station in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by CER Colorado Bend Energy Partners LP. Based on reported annual generation of 2,110 GWh, it can supply roughly 603k homes. It ranks #1154 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 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).

580Source-backed capacity
2HRSG unit(s)
2,110GWh reported / yr
603,000homes powered
2004commissioned (~22 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056350.

Data status

Known data

FacilityColorado Bend Energy Center WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates29.2878, -96.0683 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity580 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCER Colorado Bend Energy Partners LP WRI
Commissioned2004 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr2,110 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions844,200 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#1154 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#505 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers4.79× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent603,000 calculated from reported generation
Climate20.5°C · HDD 589 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 44/100 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/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 L100000401943); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 580 MW, Colorado Bend Energy Center 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.

Reported generation trend

2013: 1,738 GWh20132014: 1,592 GWh20142015: 1,563 GWh20152016: 2,244 GWh20162017: 2,165 GWh20172018: 1,760 GWh20182019: 2,110 GWh20192k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by CER Colorado Bend Energy Partners LP.

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 29.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

20.5°Cannual mean temp
589heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,528cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
25 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 13 °CFM: 17 °CMA: 20 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 22 °CON: 17 °CND: 13 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 76% 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

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

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
44/100environmental-severity index
17.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
103 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 #505 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 29.2878, -96.0683 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Colorado Bend Energy Center?

Colorado Bend Energy Center is a 580 MW source-record gas power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 2004.

How much electricity does Colorado Bend Energy Center generate?

Colorado Bend Energy Center generates about 2,110 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Colorado Bend Energy Center power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 603,000 homes.

Who operates Colorado Bend Energy Center?

Colorado Bend Energy Center is operated by CER Colorado Bend Energy Partners LP.

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