Covanta Mendota — United States of America
Waste power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 36.7559, -120.3654.
WasteCaliforniaUnited States of America
Covanta Mendota is a 28 MW waste power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Covanta Mendota LP. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 39k homes (estimated). It ranks #4317 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1989, it is around 37 years old — long-established. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0010837.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 28 MW, Covanta Mendota is well above the median waste plant in United States of America (6.6 MW). Waste-to-energy plants burn municipal solid waste to generate electricity and heat, cutting landfill volume while recovering energy from residual waste.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of United States of America waste capacity
- 0.3% of 10,154 MW across 551 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 90 of 541 dated waste 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 Covanta Mendota LP.
Local climate & thermal context
This waste plant recovers energy by combusting municipal or industrial waste. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.8°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 46% 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: 31/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #111 largest waste power plant of 551 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 551 waste power plants in this dataset, together about 10,154 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- CalRenew-1 · Solar · 5 MW · California
- North Star Solar · Solar · 61.6 MW · California
- Citizen B · Solar · 5 MW · California
- Madera Biomass power station · Biomass · 25 MW · California
- RE Adams East LLC · Solar · 19 MW · California
- Great Valley Solar Portfolio Holdings LLC · Solar · 202.5 MW · California
Location
Coordinates 36.7559, -120.3654 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Covanta Mendota?
Covanta Mendota is a 28 MW waste power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 1989.
Who operates Covanta Mendota?
Covanta Mendota is operated by Covanta Mendota LP.