Wheelabrator Falls

🌿 BiomassIPP Non-CHP53 MW capacity

92nd largest plant in Pennsylvania · 3497th nationally

Wheelabrator Falls is a biomass power plant in Pennsylvania with a nameplate capacity of 53.3 MW. It generates roughly 315.8k MWh per year — enough to power about 30,079 average U.S. homes.

Its capacity factor of 68% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 1832 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.

PeakingMid-meritBaseload0%40%80%100%68%
Mid-merit — steady but not full-time

Month by month in 2024

100% capacity0Jan: 20.7k MWh (52% of capacity)JFeb: 21.4k MWh (60% of capacity)FMar: 31.4k MWh (79% of capacity)MApr: 28.3k MWh (74% of capacity)AMay: 27.8k MWh (70% of capacity)MJun: 25.0k MWh (65% of capacity)JJul: 21.8k MWh (55% of capacity)JAug: 30.4k MWh (77% of capacity)ASep: 22.9k MWh (60% of capacity)SOct: 25.0k MWh (63% of capacity)ONov: 26.6k MWh (69% of capacity)NDec: 23.8k MWh (60% of capacity)D

Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (53.3 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.

Capacity53 MWnameplate
Annual Generation315.8k MWhEPA eGRID
Capacity Factor68%of theoretical max
Annual CO₂289.4kmetric tons

Location

Plant NameWheelabrator Falls
OperatorWheelabrator Environmental Systems
CityMorrisville
CountyBucks County
StatePennsylvania
ZIP19067
Coordinates40.16263, -74.76816

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

Natural GasOilSolarBiomass

Generators (1)

IDTechnologyFuelCapacityStatusOnline
WFI1Municipal Solid WasteMunicipal Waste53.3 MWOperating1994

Emissions (annual)

CO₂289.4k metric tons
SO₂430 metric tons
NOₓ663 metric tons
CO₂ Rate1832 lb/MWh
U.S. grid average800 lb/MWhNatural gas combined-cycle average900 lb/MWhThis plant1,832 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.

Grid context

NERC RegionRFC
Balancing AuthorityPjm Interconnection, Llc

About Biomass plants

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.

Other plants in Bucks County

View all plants in Bucks County →

Explore more