Santa Cruz Energy — United States of America

Santa Cruz Energy is a 1.6 MW waste power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Santa Cruz Energy LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 10 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.9k homes. It ranks #9633 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2009, it is around 17 years old — relatively modern. In context, the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0057876.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 1.6 MW, Santa Cruz Energy is below the median waste plant in United States of America (6.6 MW). Waste-to-energy plants burn municipal solid waste to generate electricity and heat, cutting landfill volume while recovering energy from residual waste.

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

Key facts

Load factor

71%, from 10 GWh of reported generation; the median for 506 waste plants in United States of America that report generation is 62%

Generation trend

10 GWh in 2013 and 10 GWh in 2019 (−1%)

Highest and lowest year

2017: 10 GWh; 2014: 9 GWh

Share of United States of America waste capacity

less than 0.1% of 10,154 MW across 551 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

338 of 541 dated waste 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 Santa Cruz Energy LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This waste plant recovers energy by combusting municipal or industrial waste. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.0°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 40% 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: 33/100 — 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion 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 #527 largest waste power plant of 551 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 551 waste power plants in this dataset, together about 10,154 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Univ of Calif Santa Cruz Cogeneration · Gas · 4.4 MW · California
• Ameresco Santa Cruz Energy · Waste · 3 MW · California
• Dynegy Moss Landing Power Plant Hybrid · Gas · 1,398 MW · California
• Xilinx San Jose · Gas · 1 MW · California
• Guadalupe Solar Farm · Solar · 1.7 MW · California
• Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency · Solar · 1 MW · California

Location

Coordinates 36.9733, -122.1056 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions