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Kennecott Power Plant — United States of America

Cogeneration power plant in Utah, United States of America. Approximate location 40.7119, -112.1225.

CogenerationUtahUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Kennecott Power Plant is a 38.2 MW cogeneration power plant in Utah, United States of America. It is operated by Kennecott Utah Copper. Based on reported annual generation of 167 GWh, it can supply roughly 48k homes. It ranks #4004 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1997, it is around 29 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 41,328 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 9.6k cars driven for a year. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

38.2MW installed capacity
167GWh reported / yr
47,771homes powered
41,328t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1997commissioned (~29 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056163.

Data status

Known data

FacilityKennecott Power Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Utah WRI
Coordinates40.7119, -112.1225 WRI
FuelCogeneration WRI
MW installed capacity38.2 MW Wikidata P2109; installed/nameplate capacity
Verification noteQuality label backfilled from existing source-backed capacity provenance on 2026-07-05; capacity value was not changed. source-verified
OwnerKennecott Utah Copper WRI
Commissioned1997 WRI
GWh reported / yr167 GWh·a⁻¹ WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions41,328 t CO₂·a⁻¹ modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#4004 / 10884 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#11 / 34 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.47× · 26 MW · n=34 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent47,771 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.3°C · HDD 3,447 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 32/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset

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 38.2 MW, Kennecott Power Plant is well above the median cogeneration plant in United States of America (26 MW). This facility converts its energy source into electricity for the grid; its capacity, fuel type and location determine its role in the national power mix.

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

~41,328 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

754million cubic feet of natural gas burned
8.6khomes' electricity use for a year
689ktree seedlings grown for 10 years

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Key facts

Load factor
50%, from 167 GWh of reported generation; the median for 31 cogeneration plants in United States of America that report generation is 47%
Generation trend
680 GWh in 2013 and 167 GWh in 2019 (−75%)
Highest and lowest year
2013: 680 GWh; 2019: 167 GWh
Share of United States of America cogeneration capacity
3.7% of 1,037 MW across 34 plants in this dataset
Age among peers
19 of 34 dated cogeneration 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

2013: 680 GWh20132014: 597 GWh20142015: 549 GWh20152016: 650 GWh20162017: 427 GWh20172018: 193 GWh20182019: 167 GWh2019680 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Kennecott Utah Copper.

Local climate & thermal context

This cogeneration plant produces electricity and useful heat together for higher fuel efficiency. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 40.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.3°Cannual mean temp
3,447heating degree-days (base 18°C)
287cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,702 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -3 °CJF: 0 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 13 °CMJ: 18 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 3 °CND: -2 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 40% 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: 74/100 — 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 humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
25.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
937 kmdistance to coast

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 #11 largest cogeneration power plant of 34 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 34 cogeneration power plants in this dataset, together about 1,037 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 40.7119, -112.1225 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Kennecott Power Plant?

Kennecott Power Plant is a 38.2 MW cogeneration power plant in Utah, United States of America, commissioned in 1997.

How much electricity does Kennecott Power Plant generate?

Kennecott Power Plant generates about 167 GWh of electricity per year.

Who operates Kennecott Power Plant?

Kennecott Power Plant is operated by Kennecott Utah Copper.

How much CO₂ does Kennecott Power Plant emit?

Kennecott Power Plant has modelled emissions of about 41,328 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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