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Phelps Dodge Refining

Gas power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 31.7645, -106.3913.

GasTexasUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Phelps Dodge Refining is a 20 MW gas power plant in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by Phelps Dodge Refining Corp. Based on reported annual generation of 50 GWh, it can supply roughly 14k homes. It ranks #4898 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1989, it is around 37 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 18,308 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 4.3k 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).

20Source-backed capacity
50GWh reported / yr
14,200homes powered
18,308t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1989commissioned (~37 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0054628.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPhelps Dodge Refining WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates31.7645, -106.3913 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity20 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerPhelps Dodge Refining Corp WRI
Commissioned1989 WRI
GWh reported / yr50 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions18,308 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#4898 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1634 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.16× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent14,200 calculated from reported generation
Climate17.2°C · HDD 1,401 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 20 MW, Phelps Dodge Refining 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.

~18,308 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

4.3kpassenger cars driven for a year
2.4khomes' yearly energy use
305ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 32 GWh20132014: 32 GWh20142015: 30 GWh20152016: 32 GWh20162017: 33 GWh20172018: 41 GWh20182019: 50 GWh201950 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Phelps Dodge Refining Corp.

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 cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 31.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

17.2°Cannual mean temp
1,401heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,122cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,201 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 6 °CJF: 9 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 17 °CAM: 22 °CMJ: 26 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 18 °CON: 11 °CND: 7 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 43% 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: 32/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~2% 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
22.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
625 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 #1634 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 31.7645, -106.3913 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Phelps Dodge Refining?

Phelps Dodge Refining is a 20 MW source-record gas power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 1989.

How much electricity does Phelps Dodge Refining generate?

Phelps Dodge Refining generates about 50 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Phelps Dodge Refining power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 14,200 homes.

Who operates Phelps Dodge Refining?

Phelps Dodge Refining is operated by Phelps Dodge Refining Corp.

How much CO₂ does Phelps Dodge Refining emit?

Phelps Dodge Refining has modelled emissions of about 18,308 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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