523rd largest plant in Texas · 3208th nationally
Valero Refinery Corpus Christi West is a oil power plant in Texas with a nameplate capacity of 69.2 MW. It generates roughly 110.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 10,497 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 18% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 3256 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 (69.2 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 | Valero Refinery Corpus Christi West |
|---|---|
| Operator | Valero Refining Co |
| City | Corpus Christi |
| County | Nueces County |
| State | Texas |
| ZIP | 78469 |
| Coordinates | 27.81750, -97.48140 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TG1 | Petroleum Coke | PC | 28.6 MW | Operating | 1983 |
| TG2 | Petroleum Coke | PC | 28.6 MW | Operating | 1983 |
| PRU | All Other | WH | 12.0 MW | Operating | 1983 |
| TG3 | Other Gases | Other Gas | 7.5 MW | Retired | 1986 |
| CO₂ | 179.5k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 96 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 207 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 3256 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 | TRE |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Electric Reliability Council Of Texas, Inc. |
Oil-fired plants typically run only during peak demand or grid emergencies because oil is expensive compared to gas and coal. They have the highest CO₂ emissions per MWh of any common generation technology.