Pearsall

Gas power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 28.9275, -99.0919.

GasTexasUnited States of AmericaEngineCO₂ modelled

Pearsall is a 202 MW gas power station in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by South Texas Electric Coop Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 395 GWh, it can supply roughly 113k homes. It ranks #1982 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2009, it is around 17 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 292,940 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 68k 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).

202Source-backed capacity
395GWh reported / yr
112,971homes powered
292,940t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2009commissioned (~17 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0003630.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPearsall WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates28.9275, -99.0919 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity202 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSouth Texas Electric Coop Inc WRI
Commissioned2009 WRI
TechnologyEngine WRI
GWh reported / yr395 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions292,940 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#1982 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#908 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.66× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent112,971 calculated from reported generation
Climate20.8°C · HDD 600 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 38/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000409264); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 202 MW, Pearsall is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as Engine. 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.

~292,940 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

68kpassenger cars driven for a year
38khomes' yearly energy use
4.9 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: 360 GWh20152016: 243 GWh20162017: 175 GWh20172018: 273 GWh20182019: 395 GWh2019395 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by South Texas Electric Coop Inc.

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 28.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

20.8°Cannual mean temp
600heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,629cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
191 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 11 °CJF: 13 °CFM: 18 °CMA: 21 °CAM: 25 °CMJ: 28 °CJJ: 29 °CJA: 29 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 22 °CON: 16 °CND: 12 °CD29 °C

Heating degree-days here run 76% 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: 22/100 — 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
38/100environmental-severity index
17.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
222 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 #908 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 28.9275, -99.0919 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Pearsall?

Pearsall is a 202 MW source-record gas power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 2009.

How much electricity does Pearsall generate?

Pearsall generates about 395 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Pearsall power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 112,971 homes.

Who operates Pearsall?

Pearsall is operated by South Texas Electric Coop Inc.

How much CO₂ does Pearsall emit?

Pearsall has modelled emissions of about 292,940 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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