G G Allen

Coal power plant in North Carolina, United States of America. Approximate location 35.1897, -81.0122.

CoalNorth CarolinaUnited States of America

G G Allen is a 1,148 MW coal power station in North Carolina, United States of America. It is operated by Duke Energy Carolinas LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 895 GWh, it can supply roughly 256k homes. It ranks #565 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1959, it is around 67 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

1,148Legacy source-record capacity
895GWh reported / yr
255,714homes powered
1959commissioned (~67 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0002718.

Data status

Known data

FacilityG G Allen WRI
CountryUnited States of America · North Carolina WRI
Coordinates35.1897, -81.0122 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity1,148 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerDuke Energy Carolinas LLC WRI
Commissioned1959 WRI
GWh reported / yr895 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions895,000 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#565 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#210 of 802 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers2.06× · 558 MW median · 802 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent255,714 calculated from reported generation
Climate15.9°C · HDD 1,626 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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,148 MW, G G Allen is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 2,004 GWh20132014: 2,399 GWh20142015: 1,657 GWh20152016: 1,391 GWh20162017: 994 GWh20172018: 820 GWh20182019: 895 GWh20192k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Duke Energy Carolinas LLC. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 35.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

15.9°Cannual mean temp
1,626heating degree-days (base 18°C)
869cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
191 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 5 °CJF: 7 °CFM: 11 °CMA: 16 °CAM: 20 °CMJ: 24 °CJJ: 26 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 22 °CSO: 16 °CON: 11 °CND: 7 °CD26 °C

Heating degree-days here run 34% 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: 36/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
21.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
261 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 #210 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 35.1897, -81.0122 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is G G Allen?

G G Allen is a 1,148 MW source-record coal power plant in North Carolina, United States of America, commissioned in 1959.

How much electricity does G G Allen generate?

G G Allen generates about 895 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can G G Allen power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 255,714 homes.

Who operates G G Allen?

G G Allen is operated by Duke Energy Carolinas LLC.

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