California Biomass and Waste-To-Energy Statistics and Data

photo of wood fired biomass plant in Anderson, Calif.
Photo by Warren Gretz NREL 00298

In 2019, biomass-produced electricity in our state totaled 5,758 gigawatt-hours (GWh) or 2.87 percent of California's in-state generation portfolio. A total of 86 operating biomass power plants, with an installed capacity about 1,289 megawatts, are in California.

Biomass power plant is the general term for waste-to-energy power plants that burn organic material. They are comprised of four specific types defined by the fuel they burn:

  • Biomass
  • Digester Gas (Anaerobic Digestion)
  • Landfill Gas
  • Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
The plant pictured on the right is the Wheelabrator Shasta Energy Company power plant in Anderson, California. It uses forest "residue" that is chipped up - dead and downed trees and slash and debris from logging - as its fuel.

For an animated movie about how a waste-to-energy plant works, go to: http://wheelabratortechnologies.com/index.cfm/plants/how-it-works/

Contact: Michael Nyberg

 

Biomass and Waste-to-Energy Electricity Production
(In Gigawatt-Hours; Includes Imports)


YearCompany NameEIA
Plant ID		CEC
Plant ID		Plant NameState Capacity (MW) Gross MWh Net MWh
2019Ameresco Inc58435E0071Ameresco Vasco Road LLCCA4.335,14633,161
2019Ameresco Inc56428E0214Ameresco Santa Cruz EnergyCA3.220,01318,702
2019Ameresco Inc56897E0217Ameresco Keller CanyonCA3.831,12829,881
2019Ameresco Inc56849E0218Ameresco Half Moon Bay (Ox Mountain Landfill)CA11.591,54486,954
2019Ameresco Inc57771E0248Ameresco Butte County Neal Road LandfillCA2.23,0452,560
2019Ameresco Inc56898E0250Ameresco Chiquita EnergyCA9.255,10243,216
2019Ameresco Inc58437E0252Ameresco Forward LLCCA4.335,46333,135
2019Ameresco Inc58436E0253Ameresco San Joaquin LLCCA4.332,53330,654
2019Ameresco Inc58397E0255Ameresco Johnson CanyonCA2.211,22710,422
2019Aria Energy LLCMissingE0305Kiefer Landfill Phase II (KLG2)CA6.050,66246,028
2019Bio Energy Partners/WM Renewable Energy50571E0106Altamont Gas RecoveryCA6.448,53437,431
2019Blue Lake Power LLC10764E0097Blue LakeCA13.800
2019Bowerman Power LFG59461E0226Bowerman Power Landfill GasCA23.6168,119154,810
2019Brea Parent 2007 LLC c/o Broadrock Renewables LLC58007E0249Brea Expansion Plant - Brea Power II LLCCA32.8243,827205,583
2019Buena Vista Biomass Power58472E0201Buena Vista BiomassCA22.500
2019Burney Forest Power10652E0005Burney Forest ProductsCA31.0238,629219,044
2019California Bioenergy LLC58699E0257ABEC Bidart-Old River LLCCA2.013,29612,192
2019City of Oxnard Wastewater Division50224E0211Oxnard Wastewater Treatment PlantCA1.56,3506,350
2019City of San Diego Public Utilities Department55602E0202MM San Diego LLC - North CityCA3.819,3286,316
2019City of Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant57557E0181Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control PlantCA1.610,31910,319
2019Collins Pine Co10661E0026Collins Pine Co ProjectCA12.020,80312,738
2019Community Renewable Energy Services Inc57827E0033Dinuba EnergyCA11.500
2019County of Sacramento Department of Waste Management & Recycling55766E0203Kiefer Landfill Gas-to-Energy FacilityCA9.175,57169,061
2019Covanta Delano/Mendota10840E0029Covanta Delano IncCA58.000
2019Covanta Delano/Mendota10837E0052Covanta Mendota LPCA28.000
2019Covanta Energy Inc50632E0150Stanislaus Resource Recovery FacilityCA24.0172,334147,230
2019Desert View Power (formerly Colmac Energy Inc)10300E0027Desert View Power (Mecca Plant)CA54.2389,492346,514
2019DTE Biomass Energy Inc59952E0302Potrero Hills Energy Producers LLCCA8.066,19163,059
2019DTE Energy Services10836E0105Woodland Biomass Power LtdCA28.0209,712184,894
2019DTE Stockton LLC54238E0213DTE Stockton (POSDEF Repower C0004)CA50.0400,413375,552
2019East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)56036E0036EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant Power Generation StationCA6.523,34220,965
2019East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)57696E0242EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant Digester Gas TurbineCA4.628,91724,188
2019Encina Wastewater Authority10026E0251Encina Water Pollution ControlCA3.014,52814,528
2019Energy 2001 Inc57362E0225Lincoln Landfill - WPWMACA4.927,68724,403
2019EWP Renewable Corp10052E0037DG Fairhaven Power PlantCA15.030,95325,992
2019Fortistar Methane Group55094E0054MM San Diego LLC - Miramar LandfillCA6.550,98448,556
2019Fortistar Methane Group55603E0095MM Tajiguas Energy LLCCA3.028,28723,619
2019Fortistar Methane Group57197E0132Santa Cruz Energy LLCCA1.610,53610,034
2019Fortistar Methane Group54015E0152MM West Covina LLCCA7.149,32642,896
2019Fortistar Methane Group55161E0168MM Lopez Energy LLCCA3.023,12222,541
2019Fortistar Methane Group55601E0194MM Prima Deshecha Energy LLCCA6.149,59244,276
2019Fortistar Methane Group55094E0205Miramar Energy LLC LFGCA3.226,69026,056
2019G2 Energy (Hay Road) LLC58320E0236Hay RoadCA1.613,33212,786
2019G2 Energy (Ostrom Road) LLC57133E0237Ostrom RoadCA3.227,63326,775
2019Gas Recovery Systems Inc10386E0075San MarcosCA1.913,39012,722
2019Gas Recovery Systems Inc10387E0094Sycamore Landfill San DiegoCA5.421,00223,127
2019Global Ampersand LLC56707E0007Merced Power (El Nido)CA12.556,36546,593
2019Global Ampersand LLC56706E0018Chowchilla II BiomassCA12.584,88271,711
2019HL Power Co10777E0041HL Power Company (Honey Lake)CA35.5207,080188,452
2019Humboldt Redwood Company, LLC50049E0063ScotiaCA32.5144,894125,011
2019IHI Power Services Corp10767E0098Rio Bravo FresnoCA27.8215,088187,525
2019IHI Power Services Corp10772E0099Rio Bravo RocklinCA27.8191,536168,850
2019IHI Power Services Corp (Pacific Ultrapower Chinese Station)50560E0100Pacific Ultrapower ChineseCA25.7157,692134,878
2019J&A Santa Maria57101E0228Santa Maria II LandfillCA1.48,2288,228
2019Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP)56533E0153Bradley LandfillCA6.000
2019Madera Power LLCMissingE0050Madera Power (offline 3/28/2012 - repowered 2013)CA25.000
2019MM Tulare LLC55160E0101MM Tulare Energy LLCCA1.800
2019Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt Dist10748E0135Marina Landfill Gas (Monterey Regional Waste Management Dst)CA5.136,52236,522
2019MRWPCA54951E0055Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control CogenCA1.25,5345,534
2019Mt Poso Cogeneration Co54626E0232Mt. Poso CogenerationCA63.6341,910291,756
2019Orange County Sanitation District52099E0025Plant No 2CA16.056,08854,131
2019Otay Landfill Gas LLC52204E0061Otay 1 & 2 Power StationCA3.79,5988,598
2019Otay Landfill Gas LLC52204E0300Otay 3 Power StationCA7.020,98619,961
2019Ridgewood Power Management LLC10648E0109Brea Power Partners LPCA5.600
2019Roseburg Forest Products56469E0243Roseburg Forest Products (Weed Cogeneration Plant)CA13.451,46348,731
2019Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County10472E0127Puente Hills Energy RecoveryCA50.0218,374195,597
2019Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County10091E0212Total Energy FacilitiesCA38.4177,969158,837
2019Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County57163E0227Calabasas Gas-to-Energy FacilityCA13.851,90736,861
2019SERRF Joint Powers Authority50837E0112Southeast Resource RecoveryCA34.6219,081185,832
2019SF Public Utilities Commission57971E0110Southeast Digester Gas Cogen PlantCA2.12,7302,730
2019Sierra Pacific Industries Inc10144E0004SPI - LincolnCA19.2113,97798,567
2019Sierra Pacific Industries Inc54517E0038SPI - Sonora - Restarted 1/1/2012 (Shut Down 9/28/2009)CA7.543,84834,394
2019Sierra Pacific Industries Inc50110E0078SPI - BurneyCA20.076,39967,415
2019Sierra Pacific Industries Inc50112E0081SPI - QuincyCA35.3170,265147,638
2019Sierra Pacific Industries Inc59658E0301SPI-Anderson 2CA30.1176,100160,272
2019Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works55752E0195Central LF (Sonoma) Phase ICA3.212,95812,593
2019Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works55753E0196Central LF (Sonoma) Phase IICA3.27,9287,703
2019Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works55880E0197Central LF (Sonoma) Phase IIICA1.61,1281,096
2019Sunshine Gas Producers LLC58249E0258Sunshine Gas Producers Renewable Energy ProjectCA23.0176,950147,977
2019Thermal Energy Dev Partner LP10502E0096Tracy Biomass Plant (retired 6/1/2019)CA23.000
2019Toro Energy of California LLC58379E0254Cold CanyonCA1.511,33411,334
2019Toyon Landfill Gas Conversion LLC54326E0143Toyon Landfill Gas Conversion LLC (Indef Shutdown 6/2015)CA3.800
2019Ventura Regional Sanitation DistrictMissingE0256Toland Road Landfill (Ventura)CA2.3143143
2019Wadham Energy LP50293E0102WadhamCA29.1208,748188,290
2019West Contra Costa Energy Recovery Inc50831E0137Nove Power PlantCA3.0992735
2019Wheelabrator Technologies Inc50881E0086Wheelabrator ShastaCA62.8294,708263,421
2019WM Renewable Energy59299E0304Redwood Renewable Energy FacilityCA4.030,15428,384
2019Yolo County General Services54567E0154MM Yolo Power LLC FacilityCA3.119,44618,770
2019Zero Waste to Energy Development CompanyMissingE0303Zero Waste to EnergyCA1.63,8823,882
 Total1,289.56,494,9905,758,222
 
 

Biomass and Waste-to-Energy Electricity Production
(Annual Totals)


Year Capacity (MW) Gross MWh Net MWh
20191,289.56,494,9905,758,222
20181,311.86,600,6305,842,019
20171,306.76,564,8925,786,810
20161,321.36,651,3245,849,204
20151,321.07,228,2686,350,802
20141,301.47,670,1506,767,779
20131,215.77,420,2786,543,129
20121,206.16,955,4426,198,798
20111,176.26,773,6826,051,560
20101,127.26,711,3305,990,267
20091,116.86,845,3886,119,952
20081,120.46,590,7795,913,115
20071,093.56,397,0045,764,123
20061,098.76,498,3585,862,603
20051,104.66,807,6796,078,118
20041,106.66,732,5566,081,858
20031,159.76,752,9116,093,587
20021,154.76,901,1726,217,232
20011,176.06,226,6345,781,812
2000N/AN/A6,086,000
1999N/AN/A5,663,000
1998N/AN/A5,266,000
1997N/AN/A5,701,000
1996N/AN/A5,557,000
1995N/AN/A5,969,000
1994N/AN/A7,173,000
1993N/AN/A5,760,000
1992N/AN/A7,362,000
1991N/AN/A7,312,000
1990N/AN/A6,644,000
1989N/AN/A5,204,000
1988N/AN/A4,092,000
1987N/AN/A2,461,000
1986N/AN/A2,063,000
1985N/AN/A1,171,000
1984N/AN/A1,099,000
1983N/AN/A731,000
 

Biomass and Waste-to-Energy Electricity Production by County


County Capacity (MW) Net MWh
Alameda21.8115,745
Amador22.50
Butte2.22,560
Colusa29.1188,290
Contra Costa6.830,616
Fresno55.8187,525
Humboldt61.3151,003
Kern123.6303,948
Lassen35.5188,452
Los Angeles188.9833,757
Madera37.571,711
Marin4.028,384
Merced12.546,593
Monterey8.452,478
Orange84.1458,800
Placer51.9291,820
Plumas47.3160,376
Riverside54.2346,514
Sacramento15.1115,089
San Diego34.5159,864
San Francisco2.12,730
San Joaquin81.7439,341
San Luis Obispo1.511,334
San Mateo11.586,954
Santa Barbara4.431,847
Santa Clara3.214,201
Santa Cruz4.828,736
Shasta143.9710,152
Siskiyou13.448,731
Solano9.675,845
Sonoma8.021,392
Stanislaus24.0147,230
Tulare13.30
Tuolumne33.2169,272
Ventura3.86,493
Yolo31.1203,664
Yuba3.226,775