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7.4 MW Batteries (1 MW) + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (4 MW) + Solar Photovoltaic (2 MW) operating in Santa Cruz, CA — California Independent System Operator
7.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Hybrid (3)
Technology
Batteries + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine + Solar Photovoltaic
2013
Operating Since
Coordinates
36.9997, -122.0622
County
Santa Cruz, CA
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | University of California Santa Cruz | Forefront Power | — |
| Owner(s) | EDPR CA Solar Park LLC, Forefront Power, LLC, University of California Santa Cruz | — | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
The University of California Santa Cruz power plant, located in Santa Cruz County, California, is a hybrid facility with a total capacity of 7.4 MW. The plant, which began operating in 2013, is owned and operated by the University of California Santa Cruz. It utilizes a combination of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, natural gas-fired combustion turbines, and battery energy storage. The solar component uses a fixed-tilt racking system. The battery energy storage system (BESS) has a capacity of 1 MWh and a duration of 1 hour, utilizing lithium-ion battery chemistry (LIB).
The plant's primary fuel source is solar energy. In the most recent year of data, the facility generated 35,168 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 54.0%. The University of California Santa Cruz plant has 4 generators and operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority, within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. The plant is ranked 257th out of 862 power plants in California and 2050th out of 7108 plants nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
ISO/RTO
CAISO
Market
ISO/RTO Member
NERC Region
WECC — Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator (CISO)
Grid Voltage
21.0 kV
Regulatory Status
NR — Non-Regulated
Entity Type
State
Sector
Commercial CHP
3.0K MWh
Latest Month
35.2K MWh
Annual Generation
54.0%
Capacity Factor
CO₂ Intensity
674 lb/MWh
NOx
2 lb/MWh
SO₂
0.018 lb/MWh
CH₄
0.013 lb/MWh
N₂O
0.001 lb/MWh
Capacity Factor
55.4%
Annual Net Gen
36 GWh
CO₂eq
675 lb/MWh
Subregion
WECC California
Data from 2022–2024
$38.1/MWh
Energy Value
$14.7/MWh
Capacity Value
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
PAULSWT_1_GN002
Pricing Hub
TH_NP15_GEN-APND
Alt. Hub / Zone
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
Curated node match
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