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3.1 MW Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine (2 MW) + Petroleum Liquids (2 MW) standby in Pinal, AZ — Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region
3.1 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine + Petroleum Liquids
1990
Operating Since
Coordinates
32.5780, -110.8526
County
Pinal, AZ
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | University of Arizona - Biosphere 2 | — | — |
| Owner(s) | University of Arizona - Biosphere 2 | — | — |
| Status | Standby | — | — |
The University of Arizona - Biosphere 2 power plant is a 3.1 MW hybrid facility located in Pinal County, Arizona. The plant, which began operating in 1990, is owned and operated by the University of Arizona - Biosphere 2. It utilizes both natural gas internal combustion engines and petroleum liquids as fuel sources, classified by the EIA as primarily burning distillate fuel oil (DFO). The facility consists of two generators.
The plant operates within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region and is under the balancing authority of the Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region. In terms of power generation, the University of Arizona - Biosphere 2 plant produced 53 MWh in the latest annual reporting period, achieving a capacity factor of 0.2%. The plant's size ranks it as the second-largest of its kind in Arizona, and 659th nationally out of 886 similar facilities.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Grid Region
Mountain West
Market
WEIM Participant
NERC Region
WECC — Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Balancing Authority
Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region (WALC)
Grid Voltage
12.74 kV
Regulatory Status
NR — Non-Regulated
Entity Type
State
Sector
Commercial Non-CHP
4 MWh
Latest Month
53 MWh
Annual Generation
0.2%
Capacity Factor
CO₂ Intensity
4097 lb/MWh
Low-utilization plant — per-MWh rate is dominated by startup/standby emissions; not directly comparable to baseload averages.
NOx
83 lb/MWh
SO₂
4 lb/MWh
CH₄
0.102 lb/MWh
N₂O
0.016 lb/MWh
Capacity Factor
0.4%
Annual Net Gen
0 GWh
CO₂eq
4104 lb/MWh
Subregion
WECC Southwest
2013
$765/kW
Est. Construction Cost
Total estimated cost: $2.4M
This plant's balancing authority participates in CAISO's Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM). Direct nodal pricing data is not yet available.
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