Orchard Park

Gas power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America. Approximate location 39.9109, -77.6667.

GasPennsylvaniaUnited States of America

Orchard Park is a 24 MW gas power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America. It is operated by Borough of Chambersburg. Based on reported annual generation of 3 GWh, it can supply roughly 942 homes. It ranks #4527 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. 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).

24Source-backed capacity
3GWh reported / yr
942homes powered
2004commissioned (~22 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055997.

Data status

Known data

FacilityOrchard Park WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Pennsylvania WRI
Coordinates39.9109, -77.6667 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity24 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerBorough of Chambersburg WRI
Commissioned2004 WRI
GWh reported / yr3 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions1,320 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#4527 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1582 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.20× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent942 calculated from reported generation
Climate11.1°C · HDD 2,879 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 33/100 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 24 MW, Orchard Park 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.

Reported generation trend

2013: 3 GWh20132014: 8 GWh20142015: 4 GWh20152016: 12 GWh20162017: 6 GWh20172018: 7 GWh20182019: 3 GWh201912 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Borough of Chambersburg.

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 humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

11.1°Cannual mean temp
2,879heating degree-days (base 18°C)
395cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
255 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -2 °CJF: 0 °CFM: 5 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 19 °CSO: 12 °CON: 6 °CND: 1 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 17% 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: 59/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
25.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
240 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 #1582 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 39.9109, -77.6667 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Orchard Park?

Orchard Park is a 24 MW source-record gas power plant in Pennsylvania, United States of America, commissioned in 2004.

How much electricity does Orchard Park generate?

Orchard Park generates about 3 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Orchard Park power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 942 homes.

Who operates Orchard Park?

Orchard Park is operated by Borough of Chambersburg.

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