Waters River

Gas power plant in Massachusetts, United States of America. Approximate location 42.5429, -70.9283.

GasMassachusettsUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Waters River is a 65 MW gas power plant in Massachusetts, United States of America. It is operated by City of Peabody - (MA). Based on reported annual generation of 2 GWh, it can supply roughly 628 homes. It ranks #3399 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 2,041 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 476 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).

65Source-backed capacity
2GWh reported / yr
628homes powered
2,041t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
1984commissioned (~42 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0001678.

Data status

Known data

FacilityWaters River WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Massachusetts WRI
Coordinates42.5429, -70.9283 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity65 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCity of Peabody - (MA) WRI
Commissioned1984 WRI
GWh reported / yr2 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions2,041 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3399 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1279 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.54× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent628 calculated from reported generation
Climate9.9°C · HDD 3,214 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 39/100 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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000407410); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 65 MW, Waters River 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.

~2,041 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

476passenger cars driven for a year
266homes' yearly energy use
34ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 7 GWh20132014: 11 GWh20142015: 11 GWh20152016: 6 GWh20162017: 14 GWh20172018: 5 GWh20182019: 2 GWh201914 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by City of Peabody - (MA).

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 humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

9.9°Cannual mean temp
3,214heating degree-days (base 18°C)
279cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
18 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -2 °CJF: -1 °CFM: 3 °CMA: 8 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 22 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 17 °CSO: 11 °CON: 6 °CND: 0 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 31% 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: 69/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~0% 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 thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
39/100environmental-severity index
24.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
38 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 #1279 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 42.5429, -70.9283 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Waters River?

Waters River is a 65 MW source-record gas power plant in Massachusetts, United States of America, commissioned in 1984.

How much electricity does Waters River generate?

Waters River generates about 2 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Waters River power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 628 homes.

Who operates Waters River?

Waters River is operated by City of Peabody - (MA).

How much CO₂ does Waters River emit?

Waters River has modelled emissions of about 2,041 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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