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Sandy Creek Energy Station

Coal power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 31.4744, -96.9571.

CoalTexasUnited States of AmericaCO₂ measured

Sandy Creek Energy Station is a 1,008 MW coal power station in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by Sandy Creek Energy Associates LP. Based on reported annual generation of 5,026 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.4 million homes. It ranks #649 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. Its annual emissions of 3,459,099 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 806k cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

1,008Source-backed capacity
5,026GWh reported / yr
1,436,142homes powered
3,459,099t CO₂ / yr (US EPA GHGRP)
2013commissioned (~13 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056611.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySandy Creek Energy Station WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates31.4744, -96.9571 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity1,008 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSandy Creek Energy Associates LP WRI
Commissioned2013 WRI
GWh reported / yr5,026 GWh/yr WRI
CO₂ emissions3,459,099 t CO₂/yr measured · US EPA GHGRP

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#649 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#246 of 802 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.81× · 558 MW median · 802 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,436,142 calculated from reported generation
Climate19.2°C · HDD 969 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 39/100 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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000104213); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,008 MW, Sandy Creek Energy Station is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

3,459,099 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

806kpassenger cars driven for a year
451khomes' yearly energy use
58 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per US EPA GHGRP (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Reported generation trend

2013: 3,366 GWh20132014: 6,480 GWh20142015: 3,492 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 0 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 5,026 GWh20196k GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Sandy Creek Energy Associates LP.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 31.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

19.2°Cannual mean temp
969heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,439cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
138 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 8 °CJF: 11 °CFM: 15 °CMA: 19 °CAM: 23 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 29 °CJA: 29 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 20 °CON: 14 °CND: 10 °CD29 °C

Heating degree-days here run 61% 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: 26/100 — 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

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)
39/100environmental-severity index
20.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
331 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 #246 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 31.4744, -96.9571 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Sandy Creek Energy Station?

Sandy Creek Energy Station is a 1,008 MW source-record coal power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 2013.

How much electricity does Sandy Creek Energy Station generate?

Sandy Creek Energy Station generates about 5,026 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Sandy Creek Energy Station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,436,142 homes.

Who operates Sandy Creek Energy Station?

Sandy Creek Energy Station is operated by Sandy Creek Energy Associates LP.

How much CO₂ does Sandy Creek Energy Station emit?

Sandy Creek Energy Station has measured emissions of about 3,459,099 tonnes of CO₂ per year (US EPA GHGRP).

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