Gary Works

Gas power plant in Indiana, United States of America. Approximate location 41.6224, -87.3289.

GasIndianaUnited States of AmericaSteam

Gary Works is a 161 MW gas power station in Indiana, United States of America. It is operated by United States Steel-Gary. Based on reported annual generation of 1,233 GWh, it can supply roughly 352k homes. It ranks #2251 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1997, it is around 29 years old — long-established. 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).

161Source-backed capacity
1,233GWh reported / yr
352,171homes powered
1997commissioned (~29 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0050733.

Data status

Known data

FacilityGary Works WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Indiana WRI
Coordinates41.6224, -87.3289 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity161 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerUnited States Steel-Gary WRI
Commissioned1997 WRI
TechnologySteam WRI
GWh reported / yr1,233 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions493,040 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#2251 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#990 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.33× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent352,171 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.9°C · HDD 3,306 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 41/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000407459); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 161 MW, Gary Works is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as Steam. 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.

Reported generation trend

2013: 811 GWh20132014: 796 GWh20142015: 708 GWh20152016: 713 GWh20162017: 993 GWh20172018: 1,166 GWh20182019: 1,233 GWh20191k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by United States Steel-Gary.

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 hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 41.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.9°Cannual mean temp
3,306heating degree-days (base 18°C)
358cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
189 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -5 °CJF: -2 °CFM: 3 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 18 °CSO: 12 °CON: 5 °CND: -2 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 34% 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: 71/100 — this site sits in the top 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
28.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
19 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 #990 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 41.6224, -87.3289 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Gary Works?

Gary Works is a 161 MW source-record gas power plant in Indiana, United States of America, commissioned in 1997.

How much electricity does Gary Works generate?

Gary Works generates about 1,233 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Gary Works power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 352,171 homes.

Who operates Gary Works?

Gary Works is operated by United States Steel-Gary.

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