Fairbanks — United States of America

Fairbanks is a 42.2 MW oil power plant in Alaska, United States of America. It is operated by Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 8 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.2k homes. It ranks #3881 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1971, it is around 55 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, oil supplies about 0.7% 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 USA0006286.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 42.2 MW, Fairbanks is well above the median oil plant in United States of America (7.2 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.

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

Key facts

Load factor

2%, from 8 GWh of reported generation; the median for 469 oil plants in United States of America that report generation is 0%

Generation trend

7 GWh in 2013 and 8 GWh in 2019 (+12%)

Highest and lowest year

2019: 8 GWh; 2018: 4 GWh

Share of United States of America oil capacity

0.1% of 40,022 MW across 902 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

137 of 877 dated oil 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 Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc.

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 64.9°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 211% 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: 100/100 — 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very 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 #128 largest oil power plant of 902 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 902 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 40,022 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Aurora Energy LLC Chena · Coal · 27.5 MW · Alaska
• Battery Energy Storage System · Storage · 40 MW · Alaska
• Utility Plants Section · Coal · 20 MW · Alaska
• University of Alaska Fairbanks · Coal · 22.6 MW · Alaska
• North Pole · Oil · 181 MW · Alaska
• Eielson AFB Central Heat & Power Plant · Coal · 31 MW · Alaska

Location

Coordinates 64.8542, -147.7194 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions