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 2021, biomass-produced electricity in our state totaled 5,381 gigawatt-hours (GWh) or 2.77 percent of California's in-state generation portfolio. A total of 87 operating biomass power plants, with an installed capacity about 1,246 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 NameCEC
Plant ID		Plant NameState Capacity (MW) Gross MWh Net MWh
2021Ameresco IncE0071Ameresco Vasco Road LLCCA4.336,06433,794
2021Ameresco IncE0214Ameresco Santa Cruz EnergyCA3.219,98518,546
2021Ameresco IncE0217Ameresco Keller CanyonCA3.830,79729,414
2021Ameresco IncE0218Ameresco Half Moon Bay (Ox Mountain Landfill)CA11.591,17786,707
2021Ameresco IncE0248Ameresco Butte County Neal Road LandfillCA2.214,30713,682
2021Ameresco IncE0250Ameresco Chiquita EnergyCA9.238,23129,819
2021Ameresco IncE0252Ameresco Forward LLCCA4.334,15331,834
2021Ameresco IncE0253Ameresco San Joaquin LLCCA4.329,60227,678
2021Ameresco IncE0255Ameresco Johnson CanyonCA2.210,0699,428
2021Aria Energy LLCE0305Kiefer Landfill Phase II (KLG2)CA6.040,50736,511
2021Bio Energy Partners/WM Renewable EnergyE0106Altamont Gas RecoveryCA6.243,13732,466
2021Bowerman Power LFGE0226Bowerman Power Landfill GasCA23.6158,201145,287
2021Brea Parent 2007 LLC c/o Broadrock Renewables LLCE0249Brea Expansion Plant - Brea Power II LLCCA32.8254,900217,511
2021Buena Vista Biomass PowerE0201Buena Vista BiomassCA22.500
2021Burney Forest PowerE0005Burney Forest ProductsCA31.0216,871198,545
2021California Bioenergy LLCE0257ABEC Bidart-Old River LLCCA2.014,27813,126
2021California Bioenergy LLCE0306Carlos Echeverria and Sons Dairy BiogasCA1.08,1577,901
2021California Bioenergy LLCE0308Lakeview Farms LLCCA1.07,1256,905
2021California Bioenergy LLCE0309West-Star North DairyCA1.07,7857,565
2021City of Oxnard Wastewater DivisionE0211Oxnard Wastewater Treatment PlantCA1.55,9215,921
2021City of San DiegoE0171Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant - Gas Utilization FacilityCA5.028,15723,932
2021City of San DiegoE0244North City Cogeneration Facility Expansion (NCCFE)CA1.68,0117,861
2021City of San Diego Public Utilities DepartmentE0202MM San Diego LLC - North CityCA3.817,75117,211
2021City of Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control PlantE0181Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control PlantCA1.69,3799,379
2021Clean Energy SystemsE0029Covanta Delano IncCA58.000
2021Clean Energy SystemsE0052Covanta Mendota LPCA28.000
2021Community Renewable Energy Services IncE0033Dinuba EnergyCA11.500
2021County of Sacramento Department of Waste Management & RecyclingE0203Kiefer Landfill Gas-to-Energy FacilityCA9.172,39165,164
2021Covanta Energy IncE0150Stanislaus Resource Recovery FacilityCA24.0157,762131,183
2021Desert View Power (formerly Colmac Energy Inc)E0027Desert View Power (Mecca Plant)CA54.2349,303308,328
2021DTE Biomass Energy IncE0302Potrero Hills Energy Producers LLCCA8.063,09859,541
2021DTE Energy ServicesE0105Woodland Biomass Power LtdCA28.037,58833,574
2021DTE Stockton LLCE0213DTE Stockton (POSDEF Repower C0004)CA50.0400,058372,440
2021East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)E0036EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant Power Generation StationCA6.526,72324,011
2021East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)E0242EBMUD Wastewater Treatment Plant Digester Gas TurbineCA4.619,32516,112
2021Encina Wastewater AuthorityE0251Encina Water Pollution ControlCA3.014,50714,507
2021Energy 2001 IncE0225Lincoln Landfill - WPWMACA4.935,21133,001
2021EWP Renewable CorpE0037DG Fairhaven Power PlantCA15.000
2021G2 Energy (Hay Road) LLCE0236Hay RoadCA1.613,33912,923
2021G2 Energy (Ostrom Road) LLCE0237Ostrom RoadCA3.228,37027,525
2021Gas Recovery Systems IncE0075San MarcosCA1.912,75812,177
2021Gas Recovery Systems IncE0094Sycamore Landfill San DiegoCA5.431,82824,250
2021Global Ampersand LLCE0007Merced Power (El Nido)CA12.565,13353,890
2021Global Ampersand LLCE0018Chowchilla II BiomassCA12.572,06760,166
2021HL Power CoE0041HL Power Company (Honey Lake)CA35.5206,229186,686
2021Humboldt Redwood Company, LLCE0063ScotiaCA32.5148,914125,537
2021IHI Power Services CorpE0098Rio Bravo FresnoCA27.8167,116145,728
2021IHI Power Services CorpE0099Rio Bravo RocklinCA27.8188,935166,329
2021IHI Power Services Corp (Pacific Ultrapower Chinese Station)E0100Pacific Ultrapower ChineseCA25.7154,831131,979
2021J&A Santa MariaE0228Santa Maria II LandfillCA1.43,0773,077
2021LandGas Technology LLCE0097Blue LakeCA13.800
2021Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP)E0153Bradley LandfillCA6.000
2021Madera Power LLCE0050Madera Power (offline 3/28/2012 - repowered 2013)CA25.000
2021MM Tulare LLCE0101MM Tulare Energy LLCCA1.87,8577,346
2021Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt DistE0135Marina Landfill Gas (Monterey Regional Waste Management Dst)CA5.134,85834,858
2021MRWPCAE0055Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control CogenCA1.78,6048,604
2021Mt Poso Cogeneration CoE0232Mt. Poso CogenerationCA63.6299,334254,983
2021OPAL FuelsE0054MM San Diego LLC - Miramar LandfillCA6.545,66243,488
2021OPAL FuelsE0132Santa Cruz Energy LLCCA1.610,5109,459
2021OPAL FuelsE0152MM West Covina LLCCA7.148,05341,846
2021OPAL FuelsE0168MM Lopez Energy LLCCA3.027,12825,836
2021OPAL FuelsE0194MM Prima Deshecha Energy LLCCA6.149,94845,004
2021OPAL FuelsE0205Miramar Energy LLC LFGCA3.223,39622,282
2021Orange County Sanitation DistrictE0025Plant No 2CA16.045,07042,841
2021Roseburg Forest ProductsE0243Roseburg Forest Products (Weed Cogeneration Plant)CA13.451,10348,390
2021Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles CountyE0127Puente Hills Energy RecoveryCA50.0216,540194,232
2021Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles CountyE0212Total Energy FacilitiesCA38.4173,656162,685
2021Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles CountyE0227Calabasas Gas-to-Energy FacilityCA13.845,46231,274
2021SERRF Joint Powers AuthorityE0112Southeast Resource RecoveryCA34.6222,635188,568
2021SF Public Utilities CommissionE0110Southeast Digester Gas Cogen PlantCA2.11,3001,300
2021Sierra Pacific Industries IncE0004SPI - LincolnCA19.2108,24492,646
2021Sierra Pacific Industries IncE0038SPI - Sonora - Restarted 1/1/2012 (Shut Down 9/28/2009)CA10.946,96337,649
2021Sierra Pacific Industries IncE0078SPI - BurneyCA20.0126,580112,968
2021Sierra Pacific Industries IncE0081SPI - QuincyCA35.3137,333110,322
2021Sierra Pacific Industries IncE0301SPI-Anderson 2CA30.1162,023147,048
2021Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public WorksE0195Central LF (Sonoma) Phase ICA3.29,4759,285
2021Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public WorksE0196Central LF (Sonoma) Phase IICA3.214,44814,159
2021Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public WorksE0197Central LF (Sonoma) Phase IIICA1.600
2021Sunshine Gas Producers LLCE0258Sunshine Gas Producers Renewable Energy ProjectCA23.0171,759140,090
2021Toro Energy of California LLCE0254Cold CanyonCA1.511,39911,036
2021Toyon Landfill Gas Conversion LLCE0143Toyon Landfill Gas Conversion LLC (Indef Shutdown 6/2015)CA3.800
2021Wadham Energy LPE0102WadhamCA29.1213,048192,196
2021West Contra Costa Energy Recovery IncE0137Nove Power PlantCA3.02,2591,702
2021Wheelabrator Technologies IncE0086Wheelabrator ShastaCA62.8318,799285,945
2021WM Renewable EnergyE0304Redwood Renewable Energy FacilityCA4.026,17423,659
2021Yolo County General ServicesE0154MM Yolo Power LLC FacilityCA3.118,19116,493
2021Zero Waste to Energy Development CompanyE0303Zero Waste to EnergyCA1.63,9903,990
 Total1,246.26,074,9305,381,336
 
 

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


Year Capacity (MW) Gross MWh Net MWh
20211,246.26,074,9305,381,336
20201,261.36,350,4645,633,374
20191,303.16,627,3835,883,772
20181,322.76,612,3745,848,816
20171,306.76,564,8565,782,735
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
Alameda21.6106,383
Amador22.50
Butte2.213,682
Colusa29.1192,196
Contra Costa6.831,116
Fresno55.8145,728
Humboldt61.3125,537
Kern126.6290,480
Lassen35.5186,686
Los Angeles188.9814,350
Madera37.560,166
Marin4.023,659
Merced12.553,890
Monterey9.052,890
Orange78.5450,643
Placer51.9291,976
Plumas35.3110,322
Riverside54.2308,328
Sacramento15.1101,675
San Diego30.4165,708
San Francisco2.11,300
San Joaquin58.7431,952
San Luis Obispo1.511,036
San Mateo11.586,707
Santa Barbara1.43,077
Santa Clara3.213,369
Santa Cruz4.828,005
Shasta143.9744,506
Siskiyou13.448,390
Solano9.672,464
Sonoma8.023,444
Stanislaus24.0131,183
Tulare13.37,346
Tuolumne36.6169,628
Ventura1.55,921
Yolo31.150,067
Yuba3.227,525