Lake Charles Plant

Cogeneration power plant in Louisiana, United States of America. Approximate location 30.1489, -93.3356.

CogenerationLouisianaUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSGCO₂ modelled

Lake Charles Plant is a 36 MW cogeneration power plant in Louisiana, United States of America. It is operated by Rain CII Carbon LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 195 GWh, it can supply roughly 56k homes. It ranks #4107 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 34,859 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 8.1k cars driven for a year. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

36Source-backed capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
195GWh reported / yr
55,828homes powered
34,859t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2013commissioned (~13 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0058310.

Data status

Known data

FacilityLake Charles Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Louisiana WRI
Coordinates30.1489, -93.3356 WRI
FuelCogeneration WRI
MW installed capacity36 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerRain CII Carbon LLC WRI
Commissioned2013 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr195 GWh/yr WRI
Observed long-tail demand10 GSC impressions (genset lake charles) Google Search Console

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions34,859 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#4107 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#12 of 34 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.40× · 26 MW median · 34 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent55,828 calculated from reported generation
Climate20.0°C · HDD 687 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 50/100 derived from coordinates

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: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 36 MW, Lake Charles Plant is well above the median cogeneration plant in United States of America (26 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). 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.

~34,859 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

8.1kpassenger cars driven for a year
4.5khomes' yearly energy use
581ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 133 GWh20132014: 152 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 195 GWh2019195 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Rain CII Carbon LLC.

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 30.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

20.0°Cannual mean temp
687heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,433cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
5 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 13 °CFM: 16 °CMA: 20 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 21 °CON: 16 °CND: 12 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 72% 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: 23/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
50/100environmental-severity index
17.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
48 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 #12 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 30.1489, -93.3356 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Lake Charles Plant?

Lake Charles Plant is a 36 MW source-record cogeneration power plant in Louisiana, United States of America, commissioned in 2013.

How much electricity does Lake Charles Plant generate?

Lake Charles Plant generates about 195 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Lake Charles Plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 55,828 homes.

Who operates Lake Charles Plant?

Lake Charles Plant is operated by Rain CII Carbon LLC.

How much CO₂ does Lake Charles Plant emit?

Lake Charles Plant has modelled emissions of about 34,859 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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