Snake River — United States of America

Snake River is a 18.4 MW oil power plant in Alaska, United States of America. It is operated by Nome Joint Utility Systems. Based on reported annual generation of 33 GWh, it can supply roughly 9.3k homes. It ranks #4913 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 10,903 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 2.5k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 0.7% 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 USA0000090.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 18.4 MW, Snake River is well above the median oil plant in United States of America (7.2 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.

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

~10,903 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Key facts

Load factor

20%, from 33 GWh of reported generation; the median for 469 oil plants in United States of America that report generation is 0%

Generation trend

33 GWh in 2013 and 33 GWh in 2019 (−1%)

Highest and lowest year

2013: 33 GWh; 2015: 29 GWh

Share of United States of America oil capacity

less than 0.1% of 40,022 MW across 902 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

671 of 877 dated oil 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 Nome Joint Utility Systems.

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a polar tundra climate (Köppen ET) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 64.5°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 208% above 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: 100/100 — this site sits in the top 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 mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling 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 #236 largest oil power plant of 902 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 902 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 40,022 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Brevig Mission · Oil · 1 MW · Alaska
• Shishmaref · Oil · 1.5 MW · Alaska

Location

Coordinates 64.5053, -165.4298 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions