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Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent

Gas power plant in Arizona, United States of America. Approximate location 33.1551, -111.4836.

GasArizonaUnited States of AmericaOCGTCO₂ modelled

Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent is a 100 MW gas power plant in Arizona, United States of America. It is operated by Salt River Project [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 112k homes (estimated). It ranks #2857 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 106,210 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 25k 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).

100Legacy source-record capacity
112,403homes powered (est.)
106,210t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-987.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCopper Crossing Energy and Research Cent Climate TRACE
CountryUnited States of America · Arizona Climate TRACE
Coordinates33.1551, -111.4836 Climate TRACE
FuelGas Climate TRACE
MW installed capacity100 MW Climate TRACE source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSalt River Project [100%] Climate TRACE
TechnologyOCGT Climate TRACE

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions106,210 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2857 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1149 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.82× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent112,403 calculated
Climate21.4°C · HDD 692 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 43/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot 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 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: Climate TRACE source-record capacity (modelled/legacy); fuel: Climate TRACE source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 100 MW, Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent is below the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. 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.

~106,210 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

25kpassenger cars driven for a year
14khomes' yearly energy use
1.8 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Capacity vs largest gas plants in United States of America

Fermi America Project Matador power station: 6,000 MW6kFermi Amer…Chevron AI Data Center Project: 5,000 MW5kChevron AI…GW Ranch Energy Center: 5,000 MW5kGW Ranch E…West County Energy Center: 4,263 MW4kWest Count…Pittsylvania power station: 3,800 MW4kPittsylvan…Bruce Mansfield power station: 3,641 MW4kBruce Mans…Crystal River: 3,449 MW3kCrystal Ri…Schahfer Generating Station: 2,958 MW3kSchahfer G…

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Salt River Project [100%].

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 semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 33.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

21.4°Cannual mean temp
692heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,959cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
471 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 13 °CFM: 16 °CMA: 20 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 30 °CJJ: 33 °CJA: 32 °CAS: 29 °CSO: 23 °CON: 16 °CND: 11 °CD33 °C

Heating degree-days here run 72% 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: 23/100 — 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
43/100environmental-severity index
21.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
302 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 #1149 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 33.1551, -111.4836 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent?

Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent is a 100 MW source-record gas power plant in Arizona, United States of America.

How many homes can Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 112,403 homes (estimated).

Who operates Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent?

Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent is operated by Salt River Project [100%].

How much CO₂ does Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent emit?

Copper Crossing Energy and Research Cent has modelled emissions of about 106,210 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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