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Hanging Rock Energy Facility

Gas power plant in Kentucky, United States of America. Approximate location 38.5731, -82.7833.

GasKentuckyUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ measured

Hanging Rock Energy Facility is a 1,430 MW gas power station in Kentucky, United States of America. It is operated by Dynegy Hanging Rock Energy Facility. Based on reported annual generation of 9,852 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.8 million homes. It ranks #401 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2003, it is around 23 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 4,157,062 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 969k 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).

1,430Source-backed capacity
2HRSG unit(s)
9,852GWh reported / yr
2,814,885homes powered
4,157,062t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
2003commissioned (~23 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055736.

Data status

Known data

FacilityHanging Rock Energy Facility WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Kentucky WRI
Coordinates38.5731, -82.7833 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity1,430 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerDynegy Hanging Rock Energy Facility WRI
Commissioned2003 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr9,852 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions4,157,062 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#401 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#100 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers11.80× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,814,885 calculated from reported generation
Climate12.1°C · HDD 2,589 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 33/100 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 L100000401889); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,430 MW, Hanging Rock Energy Facility is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

4,157,062 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

969kpassenger cars driven for a year
542khomes' yearly energy use
69 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per US EPA GHGRP (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2013: 6,962 GWh20132014: 7,952 GWh20142015: 9,182 GWh20152016: 9,717 GWh20162017: 7,834 GWh20172018: 9,286 GWh20182019: 9,852 GWh201910k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Dynegy Hanging Rock Energy Facility.

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 38.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

12.1°Cannual mean temp
2,589heating degree-days (base 18°C)
474cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
228 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 2 °CFM: 6 °CMA: 12 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 23 °CAS: 20 °CSO: 13 °CON: 7 °CND: 2 °CD24 °C

Heating degree-days here run 5% 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: 52/100 — 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
24.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
320 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 #100 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 38.5731, -82.7833 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Hanging Rock Energy Facility?

Hanging Rock Energy Facility is a 1,430 MW source-record gas power plant in Kentucky, United States of America, commissioned in 2003.

How much electricity does Hanging Rock Energy Facility generate?

Hanging Rock Energy Facility generates about 9,852 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Hanging Rock Energy Facility power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,814,885 homes.

Who operates Hanging Rock Energy Facility?

Hanging Rock Energy Facility is operated by Dynegy Hanging Rock Energy Facility.

How much CO₂ does Hanging Rock Energy Facility emit?

Hanging Rock Energy Facility has measured emissions of about 4,157,062 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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