Escanaba Mill — United States of America
Biomass power plant in Michigan, United States of America. Approximate location 45.8044, -87.0891.
BiomassMichiganUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled
Escanaba Mill is a 122.4 MW biomass power station in Michigan, United States of America. It is operated by Verso Escanaba LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 491 GWh, it can supply roughly 140k homes. It ranks #2497 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1975, it is around 51 years old — an older, legacy facility. Its modelled annual emissions are 49,485 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 12k cars driven for a year. In context, biomass supplies about 1.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0010208.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source 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 122.4 MW, Escanaba Mill is well above the median biomass plant in United States of America (17.9 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~49,485 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 46%, from 491 GWh of reported generation; the median for 144 biomass plants in United States of America that report generation is 53%
- Generation trend
- 535 GWh in 2013 and 491 GWh in 2019 (−8%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2016: 566 GWh; 2019: 491 GWh
- Share of United States of America biomass capacity
- 1.9% of 6,324 MW across 184 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 25 of 153 dated biomass 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 Verso Escanaba LLC.
Local climate & thermal context
This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 45.8°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 81% 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: 90/100 — this site sits in the top 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 #6 largest biomass power plant of 184 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 184 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 6,324 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Gladstone · Oil · 22.6 MW · Michigan
- Heritage Garden Wind Farm I LLC · Wind · 28 MW · Michigan
- Washington Island · Oil · 5 MW · Michigan
- Norway (MI) · Hydro · 6.3 MW · Michigan
- Chalk Hill · Hydro · 7.8 MW · Michigan
- Cataract (MI) · Hydro · 2 MW · Michigan
Location
Coordinates 45.8044, -87.0891 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Escanaba Mill?
Escanaba Mill is a 122.4 MW biomass power plant in Michigan, United States of America, commissioned in 1975.
How much electricity does Escanaba Mill generate?
Escanaba Mill generates about 491 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Escanaba Mill?
Escanaba Mill is operated by Verso Escanaba LLC.
How much CO₂ does Escanaba Mill emit?
Escanaba Mill has modelled emissions of about 49,485 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).