Valdez — United States of America
Oil power plant in Alaska, United States of America. Approximate location 61.1303, -146.3647.
OilAlaskaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled
Valdez is a 8.6 MW oil power plant in Alaska, United States of America. It is operated by Copper Valley Elec Assn Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 3 GWh, it can supply roughly 885 homes. It ranks #5913 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1989, it is around 37 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 5,648 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 1.3k 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 USA0006306.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 8.6 MW, Valdez 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.
~5,648 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
- 4%, from 3 GWh of reported generation; the median for 469 oil plants in United States of America that report generation is 0%
- Generation trend
- 5 GWh in 2013 and 3 GWh in 2019 (−39%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2013: 5 GWh; 2018: 1 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
- 350 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 Copper Valley Elec Assn Inc.
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 61.1°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 161% 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: 99/100 — 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 humidity / wetness 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 #410 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
- Allison Creek Hydro · Hydro · 6.5 MW · Alaska
- Solomon Gulch · Hydro · 12 MW · Alaska
- Valdez Cogen · Oil · 5.3 MW · Alaska
- Humpback Creek · Hydro · 1.2 MW · Alaska
- Orca · Oil · 10.7 MW · Alaska
- Power Creek · Hydro · 6 MW · Alaska
Location
Coordinates 61.1303, -146.3647 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Valdez?
Valdez is a 8.6 MW oil power plant in Alaska, United States of America, commissioned in 1989.
How much electricity does Valdez generate?
Valdez generates about 3 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Valdez?
Valdez is operated by Copper Valley Elec Assn Inc.
How much CO₂ does Valdez emit?
Valdez has modelled emissions of about 5,648 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).