US Borax

Gas power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 35.0329, -117.701.

GasCaliforniaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

US Borax is a 48 MW gas power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by U S Borax Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 296 GWh, it can supply roughly 85k homes. It ranks #3785 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1984, it is around 42 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 70,039 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 16k cars driven for a year. 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).

48Source-backed capacity
296GWh reported / yr
84,714homes powered
70,039t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1984commissioned (~42 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0050115.

Data status

Known data

FacilityUS Borax WRI
CountryUnited States of America · California WRI
Coordinates35.0329, -117.701 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity48 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerU S Borax Inc WRI
Commissioned1984 WRI
GWh reported / yr296 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions70,039 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3785 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1386 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.40× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent84,714 calculated from reported generation
Climate16.7°C · HDD 1,460 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 41/100 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/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 48 MW, US Borax 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.

~70,039 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

16kpassenger cars driven for a year
9.1khomes' yearly energy use
1.2 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 324 GWh20132014: 332 GWh20142015: 324 GWh20152016: 336 GWh20162017: 302 GWh20172018: 282 GWh20182019: 296 GWh2019336 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by U S Borax Inc.

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 cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 35.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

16.7°Cannual mean temp
1,460heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,018cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
858 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 7 °CJF: 9 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 20 °CMJ: 25 °CJJ: 28 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 18 °CON: 11 °CND: 6 °CD28 °C

Heating degree-days here run 41% 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: 33/100 — 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 benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
21.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
141 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 #1386 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 35.0329, -117.701 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is US Borax?

US Borax is a 48 MW source-record gas power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 1984.

How much electricity does US Borax generate?

US Borax generates about 296 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can US Borax power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 84,714 homes.

Who operates US Borax?

US Borax is operated by U S Borax Inc.

How much CO₂ does US Borax emit?

US Borax has modelled emissions of about 70,039 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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