Miami Dade County Resource Recovery Fac — United States of America

Miami Dade County Resource Recovery Fac is a 77 MW waste power plant in Florida, United States of America. It is operated by Covanta Southeast Florida Renewable Ltd. Based on reported annual generation of 294 GWh, it can supply roughly 84k homes. It ranks #3132 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1982, it is around 44 years old — long-established. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0010062.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 77 MW, Miami Dade County Resource Recovery Fac is well above the median waste plant in United States of America (6.6 MW). Waste-to-energy plants burn municipal solid waste to generate electricity and heat, cutting landfill volume while recovering energy from residual waste.

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

Key facts

Load factor

44%, from 294 GWh of reported generation; the median for 506 waste plants in United States of America that report generation is 62%

Generation trend

311 GWh in 2013 and 294 GWh in 2019 (−5%)

Highest and lowest year

2015: 349 GWh; 2019: 294 GWh

Share of United States of America waste capacity

0.8% of 10,154 MW across 551 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

23 of 541 dated waste 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

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

Owner

Operated by Covanta Southeast Florida Renewable Ltd.

Local climate & thermal context

This waste plant recovers energy by combusting municipal or industrial waste. It sits in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 25.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

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 an extreme marine/tropical environment (estimated ISO 9223 class CX — Extreme), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

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 #22 largest waste power plant of 551 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 551 waste power plants in this dataset, together about 10,154 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• IKEA Miami 327 · Solar · 1 MW · Florida
• FIU Solar · Solar · 1.6 MW · Florida
• Pembroke Lakes Mall · Solar · 1.1 MW · Florida
• Central District Wastewater Treat Plant · Biomass · 4.8 MW · Florida
• Miami Dade Solar Energy Center · Solar · 74.5 MW · Florida
• Wheelabrator South Broward · Waste · 66 MW · Florida

Location

Coordinates 25.8356, -80.3566 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions