22nd largest plant in Maryland · 3278th nationally
Wheelabrator Baltimore Refuse is a biomass power plant in Maryland with a nameplate capacity of 64.5 MW. It generates roughly 291.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 27,739 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 52% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 927 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 (64.5 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 | Wheelabrator Baltimore Refuse |
|---|---|
| Operator | Wheelabrator Environmental Systems |
| City | Baltimore |
| County | Baltimore City County |
| State | Maryland |
| ZIP | 21230 |
| Coordinates | 39.26604, -76.62965 |
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 | 60.2 MW | Operating | 1984 |
| GEN2 | Municipal Solid Waste | Municipal Waste | 4.3 MW | Operating | 2001 |
| CO₂ | 135.0k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 201 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 270 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 927 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 | RFC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Pjm Interconnection, Llc |
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.