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348.3 MW Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (132 MW) + Natural Gas Steam Turbine (217 MW) operating in Dona Ana, NM — El Paso Electric Company
348.3 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine + Natural Gas Steam Turbine
1958
Operating Since
Coordinates
31.8047, -106.5472
County
Dona Ana, NM
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | El Paso Electric Co | El Paso Electric | — |
| Owner(s) | El Paso Electric Co | Sun Jupiter Holdings | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
The Rio Grande power plant, located in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, has a total capacity of 398.3 MW across four generators. The plant began operating in 1957 and is owned by Sun Jupiter Holdings, with El Paso Electric Co. serving as the operator. The primary fuel source is natural gas, utilized in both combustion turbine and steam turbine technologies. Rio Grande is considered a hybrid plant, using multiple forms of generation.
In the most recent year with available data, the plant generated 789,796 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 22.5%. The plant operates within the El Paso Electric Company balancing authority and is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Rio Grande is the 5th largest power plant out of 11 in New Mexico, and ranks 550th out of 945 plants nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Grid Region
Mountain West
Market
WEIM Participant
NERC Region
WECC — Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Balancing Authority
42.1K MWh
Latest Month
789.8K MWh
Annual Generation
22.5%
Capacity Factor
CO₂ Intensity
1311 lb/MWh
NOx
2 lb/MWh
SO₂
2013
$965/kW
Est. Construction Cost
Total estimated cost: $336.1M
This plant's balancing authority participates in CAISO's Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM). Direct nodal pricing data is not yet available.
Last updated 2026-03-25
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ask pi about Rio GrandeEl Paso Electric Company (EPE)
Grid Voltage
115.0 kV
Regulatory Status
RE — Regulated
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
0.003 lb/MWh
CH₄
0.025 lb/MWh
N₂O
0.002 lb/MWh
Capacity Factor
25.7%
Annual Net Gen
895 GWh
CO₂eq
1312 lb/MWh
Subregion
WECC Southwest