University Of Alaska Fairbanks

⛏ CoalCommercial CHP39 MW capacity

19th largest plant in Alaska · 3933rd nationally

University Of Alaska Fairbanks is a coal power plant in Alaska with a nameplate capacity of 39.6 MW. It generates roughly 68.6k MWh per year — enough to power about 6,529 average U.S. homes.

Its capacity factor of 20% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 1219 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.

PeakingMid-meritBaseload0%40%80%100%20%
Peaking — intermittent or backup

Month by month in 2024

100% capacity0Jan: 7.6k MWh (26% of capacity)JFeb: 6.8k MWh (26% of capacity)FMar: 7.6k MWh (26% of capacity)MApr: 6.0k MWh (21% of capacity)AMJun: 3.2k MWh (11% of capacity)JJul: 4.6k MWh (16% of capacity)JAug: 6.9k MWh (23% of capacity)ASep: 5.7k MWh (20% of capacity)SOct: 4.7k MWh (16% of capacity)ONov: 6.5k MWh (23% of capacity)NDec: 6.3k MWh (21% of capacity)D

Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (39.6 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.

Capacity40 MWnameplate
Annual Generation68.6k MWhEPA eGRID
Capacity Factor20%of theoretical max
Annual CO₂41.8kmetric tons

Location

Plant NameUniversity Of Alaska Fairbanks
OperatorUniversity Of Alaska
CityFairbanks
CountyFairbanks North Star County
StateAlaska
ZIP99775
Coordinates64.85417, -147.82208

This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.

CoalOil

Generators (5)

IDTechnologyFuelCapacityStatusOnline
GEN5Conventional Steam CoalSubbituminous Coal17.0 MWOperating2020
GEN3Conventional Steam CoalSubbituminous Coal10.0 MWOut of Service1981
GEN4Petroleum LiquidsDistillate Oil9.6 MWStandby2000
GEN1Conventional Steam CoalSubbituminous Coal1.5 MWOut of Service1964
GEN2Conventional Steam CoalSubbituminous Coal1.5 MWOut of Service1964

Emissions (annual)

CO₂41.8k metric tons
SO₂79 metric tons
NOₓ64 metric tons
CO₂ Rate1219 lb/MWh
U.S. grid average800 lb/MWhNatural gas combined-cycle average900 lb/MWhThis plant1,218 lb/MWhCoal plant average2,100 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.

About Coal plants

Coal plants burn pulverized coal to boil water and spin steam turbines. They emit substantial CO₂, SO₂, and NOₓ along with mercury and particulate matter. Modern units include scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction; older units are increasingly being retired or converted to natural gas as economics shift.

Other plants in Fairbanks North Star County

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