769th largest plant in California · 5364th nationally
Ampersand Chowchilla Biomass Llc is a biomass power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 12.5 MW. It generates roughly 10.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,000 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 10% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 8 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits below the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
| Plant Name | Ampersand Chowchilla Biomass Llc |
|---|---|
| Operator | Ampersand Chowchilla Biomass Llc |
| City | Chowchilla |
| County | Madera County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 93610 |
| Coordinates | 37.10667, -120.24850 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMPC | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 12.5 MW | Out of Service | 2008 |
| CO₂ | 44 metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 3 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 11 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 8 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | California Independent System Operator |
Biomass plants burn wood, agricultural waste, or methane from landfills to generate steam and electricity. They are considered carbon-neutral over long timescales when fuel is sustainably sourced, but they produce particulate emissions similar to coal.