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444.2 MW Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (254 MW) + Natural Gas Steam Turbine (190 MW) operating in Lea, NM — Southwest Power Pool
444.2 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine + Natural Gas Steam Turbine
1965
Operating Since
Coordinates
32.7131, -103.3533
County
Lea, NM
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Southwestern Public Service Co | Southwestern Public Service | — |
| Owner(s) | Southwestern Public Service Co | Xcel Energy | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
The Cunningham power plant, located in Lea County, New Mexico, has a total capacity of 444.2 MW. The plant began operating in 1965 and is owned by Xcel Energy, with Southwestern Public Service Co. listed as the EIA operator. Cunningham utilizes natural gas as its primary fuel source, employing both natural gas-fired combustion turbine and natural gas steam turbine technologies. The facility consists of three generators and is classified as a hybrid plant.
Cunningham operates within the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) balancing authority and the broader MRO NERC region. In the most recent year of data, the plant generated 1,792,031 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 46.1%. Cunningham ranks as the 4th largest power plant out of 11 in New Mexico, and 522nd out of 945 nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
ISO/RTO
SPP
Market
ISO/RTO Member
NERC Region
MRO — Midwest Reliability Organization
Balancing Authority
141.4K MWh
Latest Month
1.8M MWh
Annual Generation
46.1%
Capacity Factor
CO₂ Intensity
1474 lb/MWh
NOx
1 lb/MWh
SO₂
2013
$965/kW
Est. Construction Cost
Total estimated cost: $428.7M
Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Cunningham substation · 230 kV
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
SPP
LMP Node
SPS.CUNNGHAM2
Pricing Hub
—
Location Type
Settlement Location
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
Last updated 2026-03-26
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ask pi about CunninghamSouthwest Power Pool (SWPP)
Grid Voltage
230.0 kV
Regulatory Status
RE — Regulated
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
0.007 lb/MWh
CH₄
0.025 lb/MWh
N₂O
0.002 lb/MWh
Capacity Factor
28.5%
Annual Net Gen
1295 GWh
CO₂eq
1475 lb/MWh
Subregion
SPP South