World Power Plants

Gaston County Renewable Energy Center4.2 MW Waste

WasteVerified: Jul 2026

Gaston County Renewable Energy Center is a 4.2 MW waste power plant in the United States, operated by Gaston County Solid Waste and Recycling Division since 2011. Ranked #362 of 541 waste plants in the United States. Its 4.2 MW accounts for 0.04% of the country's total waste capacity of 9,769 MW. The largest waste plant in the United States is Covington Facility at 161 MW, making Gaston County 0.026 times smaller. Nearby plants include McGuire Nuclear Station (2,440.6 MW, Nuclear), McGuire (2,440.6 MW, Nuclear), and Catawba Nuclear Station (2,410.2 MW, Nuclear). The facility is located in North Carolina, approximately 30 km west of Charlotte.

Capacity
4.2 MW
Commissioning Year
2011

15 years old

Owner
Gaston County Solid Waste and Recycling Division
Location
35.3857°, -81.1720°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 6,634. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #30,556 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #574 of 1,065 Waste plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

15 years in operation

Waste fleet average: 23.1 years

Operator portfolio

Gaston County Solid Waste and Recycling Division operates 1 plants totalling 4 MW

Regional density

173 plants within 100 km, 23,143 MW combined

Nearest plant: High Shoals Hydro (NC) (2.8 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 35.385700, -81.172000
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint330 g CO₂/kWh
Annual CO₂
8.5 Kt
26 GWh/year × 330 g/kWh
Cumulative CO₂
127.5 Kt
Over 15 years of operation
Est. Retirement
2036
10 years remaining
Annual emissions equivalent to
1.8K
cars per year
1.1K
homes per year
386.3K
trees to offset

Estimates based on Waste emission factor (330 g CO₂/kWh) and capacity factor (70%). Actual emissions may vary based on operating conditions, efficiency, and fuel quality.

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Waste
Energy Source
Non-Renewable
Country
United States of America
Continent
North America
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

United States of AmericaEnergy Profile

10,098
Total Plants
1420.7 GW
Total Capacity
GasCoalNuclearWind
Top Fuels

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