Ray Olinger

Gas power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 33.0681, -96.4525.

GasTexasUnited States of AmericaSteam

Ray Olinger is a 428 MW gas power station in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by City of Garland - (TX). Based on reported annual generation of 92 GWh, it can supply roughly 26k homes. It ranks #1386 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1977, it is around 49 years old — long-established. 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).

428Source-backed capacity
92GWh reported / yr
26,200homes powered
1977commissioned (~49 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0003576.

Data status

Known data

FacilityRay Olinger WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates33.0681, -96.4525 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity428 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCity of Garland - (TX) WRI
Commissioned1977 WRI
TechnologySteam WRI
GWh reported / yr92 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions36,680 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#1386 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#650 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.53× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent26,200 calculated from reported generation
Climate18.0°C · HDD 1,244 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 L100000401784); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 428 MW, Ray Olinger is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as Steam. 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: 0 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 92 GWh201992 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by City of Garland - (TX).

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 33.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

18.0°Cannual mean temp
1,244heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,261cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
164 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 6 °CJF: 9 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 18 °CAM: 22 °CMJ: 26 °CJJ: 29 °CJA: 28 °CAS: 25 °CSO: 19 °CON: 13 °CND: 8 °CD29 °C

Heating degree-days here run 49% 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: 29/100 — 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
38/100environmental-severity index
22.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
396 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 #650 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 33.0681, -96.4525 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Ray Olinger?

Ray Olinger is a 428 MW source-record gas power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 1977.

How much electricity does Ray Olinger generate?

Ray Olinger generates about 92 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Ray Olinger power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 26,200 homes.

Who operates Ray Olinger?

Ray Olinger is operated by City of Garland - (TX).

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