Tungsten Mountain

Geothermal power plant in Nevada, United States of America. Approximate location 39.667, -117.6937.

GeothermalNevadaUnited States of America

Tungsten Mountain is a 44 MW geothermal power plant in Nevada, United States of America. It is operated by Tungsten Mountain. Based on reported annual generation of 250 GWh, it can supply roughly 71k homes. It ranks #3896 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2018, it is around 8 years old — recently built. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, geothermal supplies about 0.4% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

44Legacy source-record capacity
250GWh reported / yr
71,371homes powered
2018commissioned (~8 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0060785.

Data status

Known data

FacilityTungsten Mountain WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Nevada WRI
Coordinates39.667, -117.6937 WRI
FuelGeothermal WRI
MW installed capacity44 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerTungsten Mountain WRI
Commissioned2018 WRI
GWh reported / yr250 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3896 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#28 of 65 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.48× · 30 MW median · 65 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent71,371 calculated from reported generation
Climate8.8°C · HDD 3,498 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 36/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

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 44 MW, Tungsten Mountain is well above the median geothermal plant in United States of America (30 MW). Geothermal plants tap underground heat to raise steam for a turbine; they provide steady, low-carbon baseload but are limited to geologically active regions.

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

Reported generation trend

2017: 22 GWh20172018: 213 GWh20182019: 250 GWh2019250 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Tungsten Mountain.

Local climate & thermal context

This geothermal plant taps underground heat to raise steam that drives a turbine. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 39.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

8.8°Cannual mean temp
3,498heating degree-days (base 18°C)
175cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,765 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -2 °CJF: 0 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 7 °CAM: 11 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 21 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 4 °CND: -1 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 42% 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: 76/100 — 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

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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
36/100environmental-severity index
22.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
520 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 #28 largest geothermal power plant of 65 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 65 geothermal power plants in this dataset, together about 3,889 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 39.667, -117.6937 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Tungsten Mountain?

Tungsten Mountain is a 44 MW source-record geothermal power plant in Nevada, United States of America, commissioned in 2018.

How much electricity does Tungsten Mountain generate?

Tungsten Mountain generates about 250 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Tungsten Mountain power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 71,371 homes.

Who operates Tungsten Mountain?

Tungsten Mountain is operated by Tungsten Mountain.

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