Rockwood — United States of America
Oil power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 32.9553, -115.5364.
OilCaliforniaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled
Rockwood is a 49.8 MW oil power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Imperial Irrigation District. Based on reported annual generation of 1 GWh, it can supply roughly 257 homes. It ranks #3698 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1979, it is around 47 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 52,535 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 12k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 0.7% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0007824.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 49.8 MW, Rockwood is well above the median oil plant in United States of America (7.2 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~52,535 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 0%, from 1 GWh of reported generation, in line with the 0% median for 469 oil plants in United States of America
- Generation trend
- 1 GWh in 2013 and 1 GWh in 2019 (−31%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2017: 2 GWh; 2019: 1 GWh
- Share of United States of America oil capacity
- 0.1% of 40,022 MW across 902 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 250 of 877 dated oil 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 Imperial Irrigation District. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 33.0°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 80% 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: 20/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion 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 #120 largest oil power plant of 902 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 902 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 40,022 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Crown Cooling Facility · Solar · 1 MW · California
- CE&P Imperial Valley 1 power station · Gas · 50 MW · California
- Spreckels Sugar Company · Gas · 8.9 MW · California
- Mesquite Lake Water & Power Plant 1 · Waste · 18.1 MW · California
- Community Solar 1 · Solar · 5.7 MW · California
- Mesquite Lake Energy Park Plant 2 · Waste · 21 MW · California
Location
Coordinates 32.9553, -115.5364 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Rockwood?
Rockwood is a 49.8 MW oil power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 1979.
How much electricity does Rockwood generate?
Rockwood generates about 1 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Rockwood?
Rockwood is operated by Imperial Irrigation District.
How much CO₂ does Rockwood emit?
Rockwood has modelled emissions of about 52,535 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).