North Loop

Gas power plant in Arizona, United States of America. Approximate location 32.401, -111.1262.

GasArizonaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

North Loop is a 108 MW gas power station in Arizona, United States of America. It is operated by Tucson Electric Power Co. Based on reported annual generation of 12 GWh, it can supply roughly 3.6k homes. It ranks #2702 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1979, it is around 47 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 156,650 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 37k 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).

108Source-backed capacity
12GWh reported / yr
3,571homes powered
156,650t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1979commissioned (~47 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0006088.

Data status

Known data

FacilityNorth Loop WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Arizona WRI
Coordinates32.401, -111.1262 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity108 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerTucson Electric Power Co WRI
Commissioned1979 WRI
GWh reported / yr12 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions156,650 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#2702 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1120 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.89× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent3,571 calculated from reported generation
Climate20.3°C · HDD 758 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 41/100 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: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 108 MW, North Loop is below the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). 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.

~156,650 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

37kpassenger cars driven for a year
20khomes' yearly energy use
2.6 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 0 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 12 GWh201912 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Tucson Electric Power Co. All plants by this company →

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 hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 32.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

20.3°Cannual mean temp
758heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,624cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
806 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 13 °CFM: 15 °CMA: 19 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 29 °CJJ: 30 °CJA: 29 °CAS: 27 °CSO: 22 °CON: 15 °CND: 11 °CD30 °C

Heating degree-days here run 69% 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: 24/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~4% 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
19.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
280 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 #1120 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 32.401, -111.1262 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is North Loop?

North Loop is a 108 MW source-record gas power plant in Arizona, United States of America, commissioned in 1979.

How much electricity does North Loop generate?

North Loop generates about 12 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can North Loop power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 3,571 homes.

Who operates North Loop?

North Loop is operated by Tucson Electric Power Co.

How much CO₂ does North Loop emit?

North Loop has modelled emissions of about 156,650 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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