Home / North America / United States of America / Whirlwind Energy Center

Whirlwind Energy Center

Wind power plant in Texas, United States of America. Approximate location 34.105, -101.0986.

WindTexasUnited States of America

Whirlwind Energy Center is a 60 MW wind power plant in Texas, United States of America. It is operated by Whirlwind Energy LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 202 GWh, it can supply roughly 58k homes. It ranks #3501 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2008, it is around 18 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 10.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

60Source-backed capacity
202GWh reported / yr
57,800homes powered
2008commissioned (~18 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056673.

Data status

Known data

FacilityWhirlwind Energy Center WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Texas WRI
Coordinates34.105, -101.0986 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity60 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerWhirlwind Energy LLC WRI
Commissioned2008 WRI
GWh reported / yr202 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3501 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#598 of 1139 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.88× · 68 MW median · 1139 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent57,800 calculated from reported generation
Climate15.2°C · HDD 1,856 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 40/100 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/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 L100000906733); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 60 MW, Whirlwind Energy Center is below the median wind plant in United States of America (68 MW). Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 209 GWh20132014: 234 GWh20142015: 210 GWh20152016: 209 GWh20162017: 195 GWh20172018: 132 GWh20182019: 202 GWh2019234 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Whirlwind Energy LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

15.2°Cannual mean temp
1,856heating degree-days (base 18°C)
864cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
908 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 4 °CJF: 6 °CFM: 10 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 20 °CMJ: 24 °CJJ: 27 °CJA: 26 °CAS: 22 °CSO: 16 °CON: 9 °CND: 5 °CD27 °C

Heating degree-days here run 24% 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: 41/100 — this site sits in the mid 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)
40/100environmental-severity index
23.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
771 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 #598 largest wind power plant of 1139 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 1139 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 104,873 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 34.105, -101.0986 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Whirlwind Energy Center?

Whirlwind Energy Center is a 60 MW source-record wind power plant in Texas, United States of America, commissioned in 2008.

How much electricity does Whirlwind Energy Center generate?

Whirlwind Energy Center generates about 202 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Whirlwind Energy Center power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 57,800 homes.

Who operates Whirlwind Energy Center?

Whirlwind Energy Center is operated by Whirlwind Energy LLC.

Built from open public data; no personal information. Operate this site? Request a correction or removal.