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Elkins Generating Center

Gas power plant in Arkansas, United States of America. Approximate location 35.9714, -94.0014.

GasArkansasUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Elkins Generating Center is a 66 MW gas power plant in Arkansas, United States of America. It is operated by Arkansas Electric Coop Corp. Based on reported annual generation of 14 GWh, it can supply roughly 3.9k homes. It ranks #3376 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 95,903 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 22k 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).

66Source-backed capacity
14GWh reported / yr
3,942homes powered
95,903t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2011commissioned (~15 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056489.

Data status

Known data

FacilityElkins Generating Center WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Arkansas WRI
Coordinates35.9714, -94.0014 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity66 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerArkansas Electric Coop Corp WRI
Commissioned2011 WRI
GWh reported / yr14 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions95,903 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3376 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1272 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.54× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent3,942 calculated from reported generation
Climate13.9°C · HDD 2,098 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 66 MW, Elkins Generating 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.

~95,903 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

22kpassenger cars driven for a year
13khomes' yearly energy use
1.6 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 1 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 2 GWh20152016: 8 GWh20162017: 19 GWh20172018: 5 GWh20182019: 14 GWh201919 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Arkansas Electric Coop Corp. 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 humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 36.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

13.9°Cannual mean temp
2,098heating degree-days (base 18°C)
610cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
510 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 2 °CJF: 4 °CFM: 9 °CMA: 14 °CAM: 18 °CMJ: 22 °CJJ: 25 °CJA: 24 °CAS: 20 °CSO: 15 °CON: 9 °CND: 4 °CD25 °C

Heating degree-days here run 15% 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: 45/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
23.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
692 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 #1272 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 35.9714, -94.0014 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Elkins Generating Center?

Elkins Generating Center is a 66 MW source-record gas power plant in Arkansas, United States of America, commissioned in 2011.

How much electricity does Elkins Generating Center generate?

Elkins Generating Center generates about 14 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Elkins Generating Center power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 3,942 homes.

Who operates Elkins Generating Center?

Elkins Generating Center is operated by Arkansas Electric Coop Corp.

How much CO₂ does Elkins Generating Center emit?

Elkins Generating Center has modelled emissions of about 95,903 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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