Covanta Fairfax Energy
Fairfax County, Virginia · EIA plant ID 50658 · Operator: Covanta Fairfax Inc
Nameplate124MWSummer 98 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation653GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor75%other units, summer MW
Heat rate18,663Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1990
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), other units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 596.7 | 86.2% | — |
| 2002 | 623.5 | 90.1% | — |
| 2003 | 622.4 | 89.9% | 17,559 |
| 2004 | 634.8 | 91.4% | 18,659 |
| 2005 | 604.6 | 86.8% | 17,830 |
| 2006 | 617.3 | 88.8% | 18,088 |
| 2007 | 612.3 | 70.8% | 18,470 |
| 2008 | 588.7 | 68.4% | 18,352 |
| 2009 | 594.3 | 68.8% | 18,830 |
| 2010 | 560.9 | 65.0% | 19,583 |
| 2011 | 600.1 | 69.7% | 19,054 |
| 2012 | 580.5 | 67.3% | 18,692 |
| 2013 | 557.8 | 63.0% | 19,604 |
| 2014 | 588.6 | 68.2% | 18,716 |
| 2015 | 521.4 | 60.2% | 19,106 |
| 2016 | 533.6 | 60.9% | 18,853 |
| 2017 | 57.6 | 6.6% | — |
| 2018 | 663.7 | 76.7% | 18,166 |
| 2019 | 723.3 | 83.7% | 16,416 |
| 2020 | 720.7 | 83.2% | 16,679 |
| 2021 | 693.2 | 80.2% | 17,023 |
| 2022 | 724.3 | 83.9% | 16,993 |
| 2023 | 690 | 79.6% | 17,112 |
| 2024 | 641.7 | 73.2% | 18,864 |
| 2025 | 708.7 | 81.8% | 17,238 |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Municipal Solid Waste | ST | 62 | 49 | Mar 1990 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| GEN2 | Municipal Solid Waste | ST | 62 | 49 | Mar 1990 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Covanta Fairfax Inc. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Covanta Fairfax Inc | 100.0% | 124 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Fairfax Landfill | 5 MW | 0.5 km |
| I 95 Landfill Phase II | 3 MW | 0.7 km |
| Covanta Alexandria/Arlington Energy | 29 MW | 15.3 km |
| MM Prince William Energy | retired | 16.3 km |
| Possum Point | 709 MW | 17.9 km |
| Church Street Plant | 4 MW | 20.3 km |