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Rensselaer City Light Plant

Gas power plant in Indiana, United States of America. Approximate location 40.9395, -87.1545.

GasIndianaUnited States of America

Rensselaer City Light Plant is a 22 MW gas power plant in Indiana, United States of America. It is operated by City of Rensselaer - (IN). Based on reported annual generation of 6 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.7k homes. It ranks #4630 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1986, it is around 40 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).

22Source-backed capacity
6GWh reported / yr
1,714homes powered
1986commissioned (~40 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0001038.

Data status

Known data

FacilityRensselaer City Light Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Indiana WRI
Coordinates40.9395, -87.1545 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity22 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCity of Rensselaer - (IN) WRI
Commissioned1986 WRI
GWh reported / yr6 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions2,400 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#4630 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1605 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.18× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,714 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.0°C · HDD 3,270 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 36/100 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 22 MW, Rensselaer City Light Plant 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: 9 GWh20132014: 6 GWh20142015: 2 GWh20152016: 12 GWh20162017: 5 GWh20172018: 8 GWh20182019: 6 GWh201912 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by City of Rensselaer - (IN).

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 hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 40.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.0°Cannual mean temp
3,270heating degree-days (base 18°C)
373cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
207 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -5 °CJF: -3 °CFM: 3 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 18 °CSO: 12 °CON: 5 °CND: -2 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 33% 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: 70/100 — this site sits in the top 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
36/100environmental-severity index
28.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
113 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 #1605 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 40.9395, -87.1545 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Rensselaer City Light Plant?

Rensselaer City Light Plant is a 22 MW source-record gas power plant in Indiana, United States of America, commissioned in 1986.

How much electricity does Rensselaer City Light Plant generate?

Rensselaer City Light Plant generates about 6 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Rensselaer City Light Plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,714 homes.

Who operates Rensselaer City Light Plant?

Rensselaer City Light Plant is operated by City of Rensselaer - (IN).

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