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 2018, biomass-produced electricity in our state totaled 5,847 gigawatt-hours (GWh) or 2.99 percent of the state's total system power. A total of 91 operating biomass power plants, with an installed capacity about 1,309 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, michael.nyberg@energy.ca.gov

 

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
2018Ameresco Inc58435E0071Ameresco Vasco Road LLCCA4.335,77533,699
2018Ameresco Inc56428E0214Ameresco Santa Cruz EnergyCA3.220,34918,925
2018Ameresco Inc56897E0217Ameresco Keller CanyonCA3.830,98529,783
2018Ameresco Inc56849E0218Ameresco Half Moon Bay (Ox Mountain Landfill)CA11.589,70185,172
2018Ameresco Inc57771E0248Ameresco Butte County Neal Road LandfillCA2.214,40313,521
2018Ameresco Inc56898E0250Ameresco Chiquita EnergyCA9.260,67347,566
2018Ameresco Inc58437E0252Ameresco Forward LLCCA4.333,97831,755
2018Ameresco Inc58436E0253Ameresco San Joaquin LLCCA4.334,86333,077
2018Ameresco Inc58397E0255Ameresco Johnson CanyonCA2.210,84510,122
2018Aria Energy LLCMissingE0305Kiefer Landfill Phase II (KLG2)CA6.049,46345,086
2018Bio Energy Partners/WM Renewable Energy50571E0106Altamont Gas RecoveryCA9.052,02740,515
2018Blue Lake Power LLC10764E0097Blue LakeCA13.800
2018Bowerman Power LFG59461E0226Bowerman Power Landfill GasCA23.6161,201147,891
2018Brea Parent 2007 LLC c/o Broadrock Renewables LLC58007E0249Brea Expansion Plant - Brea Power II LLCCA32.8258,391219,242
2018Buena Vista Biomass Power58472E0201Buena Vista BiomassCA22.500
2018Burney Forest Power10652E0005Burney Forest ProductsCA31.0220,403202,312
2018California Bioenergy LLC58699E0257ABEC Bidart-Old River LLCCA2.013,22412,125
2018City of Oxnard Wastewater Division50224E0211Oxnard Wastewater Treatment PlantCA1.56,1786,178
2018City of San Diego50492E0171Gas Utilization Facility (Pt. Loma Sewage TP)CA5.032,58632,586
2018City of San DiegoMissingE0244North City Cogeneration Facility Expansion (NCCFE)CA1.68,5918,259
2018City of San Diego Public Utilities Department55602E0202MM San Diego LLC - North CityCA3.831,16929,684
2018City of Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant57557E0181Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control PlantCA1.68,9628,962
2018Clover Flat LandfillMissingE0307Clover Flat LandfillCA0.95,1335,133
2018Collins Pine Co10661E0026Collins Pine Co ProjectCA12.015,3988,763
2018Community Renewable Energy Services Inc57827E0033Dinuba EnergyCA12.500
2018County of Sacramento Department of Waste Management & Recycling55766E0203Kiefer Landfill Gas-to-Energy FacilityCA9.176,19969,539
2018Covanta Delano/Mendota10840E0029Covanta Delano IncCA58.000
2018Covanta Delano/Mendota10837E0052Covanta Mendota LPCA28.000
2018Covanta Energy Inc50632E0150Stanislaus Resource Recovery FacilityCA24.0172,970150,018
2018Desert View Power (formerly Colmac Energy Inc)10300E0027Desert View Power (Mecca Plant)CA54.2386,443329,671
2018DTE Biomass Energy Inc59952E0302Potrero Hills Energy Producers LLCCA8.066,21263,238
2018DTE Energy Services10836E0105Woodland Biomass Power LtdCA28.0211,860187,736
2018DTE Stockton LLC54238E0213DTE Stockton (POSDEF Repower C0004)CA50.0396,134371,195
2018East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)56036E0036EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant Power Generation StationCA6.527,97525,321
2018East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)57696E0242EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant Digester Gas TurbineCA4.633,18427,795
2018Encina Wastewater Authority10026E0251Encina Water Pollution ControlCA3.014,99414,994
2018Energy 2001 Inc57362E0225Lincoln Landfill - WPWMACA4.926,44724,720
2018EWP Renewable Corp10052E0037DG Fairhaven Power PlantCA15.044,70239,379
2018Fortistar Methane Group55094E0054MM San Diego LLC - Miramar LandfillCA6.553,30550,767
2018Fortistar Methane Group55603E0095MM Tajiguas Energy LLCCA3.026,72124,673
2018Fortistar Methane Group57197E0132Santa Cruz Energy LLCCA1.610,8719,853
2018Fortistar Methane Group54015E0152MM West Covina LLCCA7.150,55844,143
2018Fortistar Methane Group55161E0168MM Lopez Energy LLCCA3.020,26720,263
2018Fortistar Methane Group55601E0194MM Prima Deshecha Energy LLCCA6.150,38645,616
2018Fortistar Methane Group55094E0205Miramar Energy LLC LFGCA3.227,03326,046
2018G2 Energy (Hay Road) LLC58320E0236Hay RoadCA1.613,46112,912
2018G2 Energy (Ostrom Road) LLC57133E0237Ostrom RoadCA3.227,69226,911
2018Gas Recovery Systems Inc10386E0075San MarcosCA1.913,18112,036
2018Gas Recovery Systems Inc10387E0094Sycamore Landfill San DiegoCA5.426,12218,523
2018Global Ampersand LLC56707E0007Merced Power (El Nido)CA12.574,99763,344
2018Global Ampersand LLC56706E0018Chowchilla II BiomassCA12.579,06267,181
2018HL Power Co10777E0041HL Power Company (Honey Lake)CA35.5209,349191,170
2018Humboldt Redwood Company, LLC50049E0063ScotiaCA32.5153,954131,708
2018IHI Power Services Corp10767E0098Rio Bravo FresnoCA27.8215,749188,677
2018IHI Power Services Corp10772E0099Rio Bravo RocklinCA27.8200,299176,414
2018IHI Power Services Corp (Pacific Ultrapower Chinese Station)50560E0100Pacific Ultrapower ChineseCA25.7163,846140,547
2018J&A Santa Maria57101E0228Santa Maria II LandfillCA1.45,4095,409
2018Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP)56533E0153Bradley LandfillCA6.000
2018Madera Power LLCMissingE0050Madera Power (offline 3/28/2012 - repowered 2013)CA25.000
2018MM Tulare LLC55160E0101MM Tulare Energy LLCCA1.800
2018Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt Dist10748E0135Marina Landfill Gas (Monterey Regional Waste Management Dst)CA5.125,90225,902
2018MRWPCA54951E0055Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control CogenCA1.710,80110,801
2018Mt Poso Cogeneration Co54626E0232Mt. Poso CogenerationCA63.6301,136255,054
2018Orange County Sanitation District52099E0025Plant No 2CA16.052,04050,112
2018Otay Landfill Gas LLC52204E0061Otay 1 & 2 Power StationCA3.715,48513,945
2018Otay Landfill Gas LLC52204E0300Otay 3 Power StationCA7.024,04622,730
2018Ridgewood Power Management LLC10648E0109Brea Power Partners LPCA5.600
2018Roseburg Forest Products56469E0243Roseburg Forest Products (Weed Cogeneration Plant)CA13.459,29856,150
2018Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County10090E0113Commerce Refuse To Energy (Retired June 30, 2018)CA11.540,44135,992
2018Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County10472E0127Puente Hills Energy RecoveryCA50.0275,129247,533
2018Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County10091E0212Total Energy FacilitiesCA38.4180,098158,002
2018Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County57163E0227Calabasas Gas-to-Energy FacilityCA13.848,25232,679
2018SERRF Joint Powers Authority50837E0112Southeast Resource RecoveryCA34.6206,034170,062
2018SF Public Utilities Commission57971E0110Southeast Digester Gas Cogen PlantCA2.13,7993,799
2018Sierra Pacific Industries Inc10144E0004SPI - LincolnCA19.2108,28992,886
2018Sierra Pacific Industries Inc54517E0038SPI - Sonora - Restarted 1/1/2012 (Shut Down 9/28/2009)CA7.533,79427,089
2018Sierra Pacific Industries Inc50110E0078SPI - BurneyCA20.089,56578,895
2018Sierra Pacific Industries Inc50112E0081SPI - QuincyCA35.3123,657104,707
2018Sierra Pacific Industries Inc59658E0301SPI-Anderson 2CA30.1166,180149,694
2018Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works55752E0195Central LF (Sonoma) Phase ICA3.28,0097,307
2018Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works55753E0196Central LF (Sonoma) Phase IICA3.215,29113,965
2018Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works55880E0197Central LF (Sonoma) Phase IIICA1.62,0261,828
2018Sunshine Gas Producers LLC58249E0258Sunshine Gas Producers Renewable Energy ProjectCA23.0178,012148,745
2018Thermal Energy Dev Partner LP10502E0096Tracy Biomass Plant (retired 6/1/2019)CA23.000
2018Toro Energy of California LLC58379E0254Cold CanyonCA1.510,4689,832
2018Ventura Regional Sanitation DistrictMissingE0256Toland Road Landfill (Ventura)CA2.3447447
2018Wadham Energy LP50293E0102WadhamCA29.1186,264166,216
2018West Contra Costa Energy Recovery Inc50831E0137Nove Power PlantCA3.01,208620
2018Wheelabrator Technologies Inc50881E0086Wheelabrator ShastaCA62.8312,613279,898
2018WM Renewable Energy59299E0304Redwood Renewable Energy FacilityCA4.030,19029,479
2018Yolo County General Services54567E0154MM Yolo Power LLC FacilityCA3.118,80418,151
2018Zero Waste to Energy Development CompanyMissingE0303Zero Waste to EnergyCA1.64,8034,475
 Total1,308.96,605,7635,847,152
 
 

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


Year Capacity (MW) Gross MWh Net MWh
20181,308.96,605,7635,847,152
20171,306.76,564,8935,786,811
20161,321.36,651,3245,849,204
20151,321.07,228,2686,350,802
20141,301.47,670,1526,767,778
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
Alameda24.4127,330
Amador22.50
Butte2.213,521
Colusa29.1166,216
Contra Costa6.830,403
Fresno55.8188,677
Humboldt61.3171,087
Kern123.6267,179
Lassen35.5191,170
Los Angeles196.6904,985
Madera37.567,181
Marin4.029,479
Merced12.563,344
Monterey9.046,825
Napa0.95,133
Orange84.1462,861
Placer51.9294,020
Plumas47.3113,470
Riverside54.2329,671
Sacramento15.1114,625
San Diego41.1229,570
San Francisco2.13,799
San Joaquin81.7436,027
San Luis Obispo1.59,832
San Mateo11.585,172
Santa Barbara4.430,082
Santa Clara3.213,437
Santa Cruz4.828,778
Shasta143.9710,799
Siskiyou13.456,150
Solano9.676,150
Sonoma8.023,100
Stanislaus24.0150,018
Tulare14.30
Tuolumne33.2167,636
Ventura3.86,625
Yolo31.1205,887
Yuba3.226,911