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Dave Gates Generating Station

Gas power plant in Montana, United States of America. Approximate location 46.1047, -112.8766.

GasMontanaUnited States of America

Dave Gates Generating Station is a 203 MW gas power station in Montana, United States of America. It is operated by NorthWestern Energy DGGS. Based on reported annual generation of 227 GWh, it can supply roughly 64,771 homes. It ranks #1218 of 9,833 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 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).

203MW installed capacity
227GWh reported / yr
64,771homes powered
2011commissioned (~15 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056908.

~90,680 t CO₂/yr (estimated) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

21,138passenger cars driven for a year
11,826homes' yearly energy use
1,511,333tree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Estimated, not measured: from reported annual generation × a typical gas emission factor (~400 g CO₂/kWh, IPCC AR5 / US EIA). Actual emissions depend on plant efficiency and running hours.Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies.

Reported generation trend

2013: 447 GWh20132014: 412 GWh20142015: 428 GWh20152016: 263 GWh20162017: 251 GWh20172018: 221 GWh20182019: 227 GWh2019447 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by NorthWestern Energy DGGS.

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 warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 46.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

5.2°Cannual mean temp
4,653heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,682 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -6 °CJF: -3 °CFM: 0 °CMA: 4 °CAM: 9 °CMJ: 14 °CJJ: 17 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 11 °CSO: 6 °CON: -1 °CND: -6 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 89% 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: 92/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

In colder climates, uninsulated hot equipment (boilers, turbines, valves, steam lines) loses proportionally more heat to ambient air — exactly the loss Inzonex modular insulation is designed to cut.

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.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #683 largest gas power plant of 1818 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 1818 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 546,436 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 46.1047, -112.8766 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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