43rd largest plant in Connecticut · 5047th nationally
Covanta Bristol Energy is a biomass power plant in Connecticut with a nameplate capacity of 16.3 MW. It generates roughly 103.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 9,879 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 73% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 2109 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (16.3 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Covanta Bristol Energy |
|---|---|
| Operator | Covanta Bristol Inc |
| City | Bristol |
| County | Hartford County |
| State | Connecticut |
| ZIP | 06010 |
| Coordinates | 41.64920, -72.91530 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Municipal Solid Waste | Municipal Waste | 16.3 MW | Operating | 1987 |
| CO₂ | 109.4k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 188 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 189 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2109 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 | NPCC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Iso New England Inc. |
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.