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Dearborn Energy Center

Gas power plant in Michigan, United States of America. Approximate location 42.2969, -83.2313.

GasMichiganUnited States of America

Dearborn Energy Center is a 35 MW gas power plant in Michigan, United States of America. It is operated by DTE Electric Company. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 39k homes (estimated). It ranks #4147 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2020, it is around 6 years old — recently built. 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).

35Source-backed capacity
39,420homes powered (est.)
2020commissioned (~6 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0062289.

Data status

Known data

FacilityDearborn Energy Center WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Michigan WRI
Coordinates42.2969, -83.2313 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity35 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerDTE Electric Company WRI
Commissioned2020 WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions55,188 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#4147 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1496 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.29× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent39,420 calculated
Climate9.5°C · HDD 3,382 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 35/100 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 35 MW, Dearborn Energy Center 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.

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 DTE Electric Company. All plants by this company →

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-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.5°Cannual mean temp
3,382heating degree-days (base 18°C)
322cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
179 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -4 °CJF: -3 °CFM: 2 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 18 °CSO: 11 °CON: 5 °CND: -1 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 38% 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: 73/100 — this site sits in the top 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
27.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
65 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 #1496 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 42.2969, -83.2313 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Dearborn Energy Center?

Dearborn Energy Center is a 35 MW source-record gas power plant in Michigan, United States of America, commissioned in 2020.

How many homes can Dearborn Energy Center power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 39,420 homes (estimated).

Who operates Dearborn Energy Center?

Dearborn Energy Center is operated by DTE Electric Company.

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