Desert Sky

Wind power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 30.9178, -102.0867.

WindTexasUnited States of America

Desert Sky is a 170 MW wind power station in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by Desert Sky Wind Farm LP. Based on reported annual generation of 529 GWh, it can supply roughly 151k homes. It ranks #2186 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2002, it is around 24 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 10.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

170Source-backed capacity
529GWh reported / yr
151,057homes powered
2002commissioned (~24 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055992.

Data status

Known data

FacilityDesert Sky WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates30.9178, -102.0867 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity170 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerDesert Sky Wind Farm LP WRI
Commissioned2002 WRI
GWh reported / yr529 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2186 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#220 of 1139 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers2.51× · 68 MW median · 1139 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent151,057 calculated from reported generation
Climate18.5°C · HDD 1,117 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 42/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 L100000906597); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 170 MW, Desert Sky is well above the median wind plant in United States of America (68 MW). Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2013: 459 GWh20132014: 504 GWh20142015: 439 GWh20152016: 420 GWh20162017: 401 GWh20172018: 423 GWh20182019: 529 GWh2019529 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Desert Sky Wind Farm LP.

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 30.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

18.5°Cannual mean temp
1,117heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,306cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
788 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 7 °CJF: 10 °CFM: 14 °CMA: 19 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 19 °CON: 13 °CND: 8 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 55% 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: 27/100 — 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

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)
42/100environmental-severity index
20.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
586 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 #220 largest wind power plant of 1139 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 1139 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 104,873 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 30.9178, -102.0867 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Desert Sky?

Desert Sky is a 170 MW source-record wind power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 2002.

How much electricity does Desert Sky generate?

Desert Sky generates about 529 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Desert Sky power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 151,057 homes.

Who operates Desert Sky?

Desert Sky is operated by Desert Sky Wind Farm LP.

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