Silicon Valley Clean Water — United States of America
Biomass power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 37.5426, -122.2311.
BiomassCaliforniaUnited States of America
Silicon Valley Clean Water is a 1.2 MW biomass power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Silicon Valley Clean Water. Based on reported annual generation of 6 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.8k homes. It ranks #10231 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2015, it is around 11 years old — relatively modern. In context, biomass supplies about 1.0% 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 USA0060249.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 1.2 MW, Silicon Valley Clean Water is below the median biomass plant in United States of America (17.9 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 60%, from 6 GWh of reported generation; the median for 144 biomass plants in United States of America that report generation is 53%
- Generation trend
- 3 GWh in 2015 and 6 GWh in 2019 (+91%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2017: 7 GWh; 2015: 3 GWh
- Share of United States of America biomass capacity
- less than 0.1% of 6,324 MW across 184 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 135 of 153 dated biomass 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 Silicon Valley Clean Water.
Local climate & thermal context
This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.5°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 51% 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: 29/100 — 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 #170 largest biomass power plant of 184 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 184 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 6,324 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Franklin Templeton San Mateo · Gas · 1.1 MW · California
- SRI International Cogen Project · Gas · 6 MW · California
- City of Hayward WWTP · Biomass · 1.6 MW · California
- Russell City Energy Center · Gas · 655 MW · California
- Cardinal Cogen · Gas · 52.8 MW · California
- Stanford Campus Solar · Solar · 3.4 MW · California
Location
Coordinates 37.5426, -122.2311 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Silicon Valley Clean Water?
Silicon Valley Clean Water is a 1.2 MW biomass power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 2015.
How much electricity does Silicon Valley Clean Water generate?
Silicon Valley Clean Water generates about 6 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Silicon Valley Clean Water?
Silicon Valley Clean Water is operated by Silicon Valley Clean Water.