Keystone

Coal power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America. Approximate location 40.6604, -79.3411.

CoalPennsylvaniaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ measured

Keystone is a 1,872 MW coal power station in Pennsylvania, United States of America. It is operated by KeyCon Operating LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 11,005 GWh, it can supply roughly 3.1 million homes. It ranks #253 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1967, it is around 59 years old — an older, legacy facility. Its annual emissions of 2,778,443 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 648k cars driven for a year. 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).

1,872Source-backed capacity
11,005GWh reported / yr
3,144,371homes powered
2,778,443t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
1967commissioned (~59 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0003136.

Data status

Known data

FacilityKeystone WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Pennsylvania WRI
Coordinates40.6604, -79.3411 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity1,872 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerKeyCon Operating LLC WRI
Commissioned1967 WRI
GWh reported / yr11,005 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions2,778,443 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#253 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#72 of 802 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.35× · 558 MW median · 802 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent3,144,371 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.6°C · HDD 3,249 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 30/100 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/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 operating-unit sum (location L100000104148); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,872 MW, Keystone 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.

2,778,443 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

648kpassenger cars driven for a year
362khomes' yearly energy use
46 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: 12,456 GWh20132014: 11,525 GWh20142015: 9,515 GWh20152016: 10,215 GWh20162017: 11,818 GWh20172018: 12,418 GWh20182019: 11,005 GWh201912k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by KeyCon Operating LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 40.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.6°Cannual mean temp
3,249heating degree-days (base 18°C)
221cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
381 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -3 °CJF: -2 °CFM: 3 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 21 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 17 °CSO: 11 °CON: 5 °CND: 0 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 32% 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: 70/100 — 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

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 thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
30/100environmental-severity index
24.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
151 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 #72 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 40.6604, -79.3411 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Keystone?

Keystone is a 1,872 MW source-record coal power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America, commissioned in 1967.

How much electricity does Keystone generate?

Keystone generates about 11,005 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Keystone power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 3,144,371 homes.

Who operates Keystone?

Keystone is operated by KeyCon Operating LLC.

How much CO₂ does Keystone emit?

Keystone has measured emissions of about 2,778,443 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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