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Wolfskill Energy Center

Gas power plant in California, United States of America. Approximate location 38.2285, -122.0752.

GasCaliforniaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Wolfskill Energy Center is a 47 MW gas power plant in California, United States of America. It is operated by Gilroy Energy Center LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 7 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.0k homes. It ranks #3833 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2003, it is around 23 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 3,471 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 809 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).

47Source-backed capacity
7GWh reported / yr
2,000homes powered
3,471t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2003commissioned (~23 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0055855.

Data status

Known data

FacilityWolfskill Energy Center WRI
CountryUnited States of America · California WRI
Coordinates38.2285, -122.0752 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity47 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerGilroy Energy Center LLC WRI
Commissioned2003 WRI
GWh reported / yr7 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions3,471 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3833 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#1407 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.39× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,000 calculated from reported generation
Climate15.4°C · HDD 1,297 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 32/100 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 47 MW, Wolfskill Energy Center 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.

~3,471 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

809passenger cars driven for a year
453homes' yearly energy use
58ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 19 GWh20132014: 18 GWh20142015: 26 GWh20152016: 16 GWh20162017: 15 GWh20172018: 9 GWh20182019: 7 GWh201926 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Gilroy Energy Center LLC.

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 Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 38.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

15.4°Cannual mean temp
1,297heating degree-days (base 18°C)
353cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
19 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 8 °CJF: 11 °CFM: 12 °CMA: 15 °CAM: 18 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 22 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 20 °CSO: 17 °CON: 12 °CND: 8 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 47% 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: 30/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
32/100environmental-severity index
13.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
80 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 #1407 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 38.2285, -122.0752 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Wolfskill Energy Center?

Wolfskill Energy Center is a 47 MW source-record gas power plant in California, United States of America, commissioned in 2003.

How much electricity does Wolfskill Energy Center generate?

Wolfskill Energy Center generates about 7 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Wolfskill Energy Center power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,000 homes.

Who operates Wolfskill Energy Center?

Wolfskill Energy Center is operated by Gilroy Energy Center LLC.

How much CO₂ does Wolfskill Energy Center emit?

Wolfskill Energy Center has modelled emissions of about 3,471 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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