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SF State University

Gas power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 37.7239, -122.4775.

GasCaliforniaUnited States of America

SF State University is a 2 MW gas power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.. Based on reported annual generation of 9 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.6k homes. It ranks #9683 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. 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).

2Legacy source-record capacity
9GWh reported / yr
2,600homes powered
2011commissioned (~15 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0057043.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySF State University WRI
CountryUnited States of America · California WRI
Coordinates37.7239, -122.4775 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity2 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerPacific Gas & Electric Co. WRI
Commissioned2011 WRI
GWh reported / yr9 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions3,640 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#9683 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2086 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.01× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,600 calculated from reported generation
Climate13.4°C · HDD 1,666 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 33/100 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 fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 2 MW, SF State University 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: 10 GWh20132014: 9 GWh20142015: 4 GWh20152016: 2 GWh20162017: 2 GWh20172018: 11 GWh20182019: 9 GWh201911 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.. All plants by this company →

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 warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

13.4°Cannual mean temp
1,666heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
153 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 10 °CJF: 11 °CFM: 11 °CMA: 12 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 15 °CJJ: 16 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 17 °CSO: 16 °CON: 12 °CND: 10 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 32% 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: 37/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
7.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
30 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 #2086 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 37.7239, -122.4775 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is SF State University?

SF State University is a 2 MW source-record gas power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 2011.

How much electricity does SF State University generate?

SF State University generates about 9 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can SF State University power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,600 homes.

Who operates SF State University?

SF State University is operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co..

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