SJ/SC WPCP

Gas power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 37.4344, -121.9464.

GasCaliforniaUnited States of America

SJ/SC WPCP is a 8 MW gas power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by San Jose/Santa Clara Water P C. Based on reported annual generation of 40 GWh, it can supply roughly 12k homes. It ranks #5997 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1988, it is around 38 years old — long-established. 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).

8Legacy source-record capacity
40GWh reported / yr
11,571homes powered
1988commissioned (~38 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056080.

Data status

Known data

FacilitySJ/SC WPCP WRI
CountryUnited States of America · California WRI
Coordinates37.4344, -121.9464 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity8 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSan Jose/Santa Clara Water P C WRI
Commissioned1988 WRI
GWh reported / yr40 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions16,200 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#5997 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1812 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.07× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent11,571 calculated from reported generation
Climate15.8°C · HDD 1,088 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 38/100 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 8 MW, SJ/SC WPCP 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: 64 GWh20132014: 33 GWh20142015: 43 GWh20152016: 32 GWh20162017: 27 GWh20172018: 33 GWh20182019: 40 GWh201964 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by San Jose/Santa Clara Water P C.

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 37.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

15.8°Cannual mean temp
1,088heating degree-days (base 18°C)
311cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
71 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 10 °CJF: 12 °CFM: 13 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 21 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 20 °CSO: 18 °CON: 13 °CND: 10 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 56% 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: 27/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~1% 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)
38/100environmental-severity index
11.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
23 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 #1812 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 37.4344, -121.9464 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is SJ/SC WPCP?

SJ/SC WPCP is a 8 MW source-record gas power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 1988.

How much electricity does SJ/SC WPCP generate?

SJ/SC WPCP generates about 40 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can SJ/SC WPCP power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 11,571 homes.

Who operates SJ/SC WPCP?

SJ/SC WPCP is operated by San Jose/Santa Clara Water P C.

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