Packaging Corp of America — United States of America

Packaging Corp of America is a 72.5 MW waste power plant in Tennessee, United States of America. It is operated by Packaging Corp of America. Based on reported annual generation of 412 GWh, it can supply roughly 118k homes. It ranks #3213 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1992, it is around 34 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 USA0050296.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 72.5 MW, Packaging Corp of America 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

65%, from 412 GWh of reported generation; the median for 506 waste plants in United States of America that report generation is 62%

Generation trend

386 GWh in 2013 and 412 GWh in 2019 (+7%)

Highest and lowest year

2017: 431 GWh; 2013: 386 GWh

Share of United States of America waste capacity

0.7% of 10,154 MW across 551 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

135 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 Packaging Corp of America.

Local climate & thermal context

This waste plant recovers energy by combusting municipal or industrial waste. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 35.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 28% 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: 39/100 — this site sits in the mid 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

This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness 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 #27 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

• Pickwick Landing Dam · Hydro · 240 MW · Tennessee
• Yellow Creek nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 2,570 MW · Mississippi
• Selmer I · Solar · 16 MW · Tennessee
• Selmer Farm LLC · Solar · 15.8 MW · Tennessee
• Mulberry Farm LLC · Solar · 15.8 MW · Tennessee
• Selmer II · Solar · 8 MW · Tennessee

Location

Coordinates 35.0471, -88.2661 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions