Power plants in the El Paso Electric balancing area
The El Paso Electric balancing area takes in 27 power plants with 2,856 MW of nameplate capacity, the 34th-largest of the 40 areas covered here. Its plants sit in two states, with Texas holding 67% of the capacity. Natural gas makes up 74% of the mix, and the largest plant is Newman (1,110 MW). Since 2020, 806 MW has come online here, 56% of it solar.
- Natural gas2,101 MW74%
- Solar579 MW20%
- Battery storage126 MW4.4%
- Wind50.4 MW1.8%
Capacity by decade it came online
Natural gasWindSolarBattery storage
Above the line: capacity operating in 2025. Below: capacity retired at plants that still run.
The 25 largest plants in the area
| Rank | Plant | State | Runs on | Capacity | First unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newman | Texas | Natural gas | 1,110 MW | 1960 |
| 2 | Montana Power Station | Texas | Natural gas | 527 MW | 2015 |
| 3 | Rio Grande | New Mexico | Natural gas | 348 MW | 1958 |
| 4 | Milagro Solar I | New Mexico | Solar | 225 MW | 2025 |
| 5 | Buena Vista Energy Center | New Mexico | Solar | 170 MW | 2023 |
| 6 | Felina | Texas | Solar | 153 MW | 2025 |
| 7 | Copper | Texas | Natural gas | 86.9 MW | 1980 |
| 8 | Macho Springs | New Mexico | Solar | 55 MW | 2014 |
| 9 | Macho Springs Power I | New Mexico | Wind | 50.4 MW | 2011 |
| 10 | Roadrunner Solar | New Mexico | Solar | 20.2 MW | 2011 |
| 11 | Phelps Dodge Refining | Texas | Natural gas | 19.6 MW | 1986 |
| 12 | SunE EPE2 LLC | New Mexico | Solar | 12 MW | 2012 |
| 13 | Newman Solar | Texas | Solar | 10.5 MW | 2014 |
| 14 | Chihuahuan Desert Solar | Texas | Solar | 10 MW | 2025 |
| 15 | SunE EPE1 LLC | New Mexico | Solar | 10 MW | 2012 |
| 16 | Emi NM Bent Bow | New Mexico | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| 17 | Hatch Solar Energy Center I, LLC | New Mexico | Solar | 5 MW | 2011 |
| 18 | Holloman Solar Facility | New Mexico | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| 19 | Pluma - SLT Las Cruces | New Mexico | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| 20 | SLO-3 Community Solar | New Mexico | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| 21 | New Mexico State University | New Mexico | Natural gas | 4.7 MW | 1996 |
| 22 | Tenet Hospital | Texas | Natural gas | 4.2 MW | 1987 |
| 23 | WSMR I | New Mexico | Solar | 4.1 MW | 2012 |
| 24 | NMSU Solar and Storage | New Mexico | Solar | 4 MW | 2021 |
| 25 | Montana Solar Facility | Texas | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
States
| State | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 11 | 1,928 MW |
| New Mexico | 16 | 929 MW |
Operators with the most capacity
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso Electric Co | 9 | 2,247 MW |
| Milagro Solar I, LLC | 1 | 225 MW |
| Buena Vista Energy Center, LLC | 1 | 170 MW |
| Southern Power Co | 1 | 55 MW |
| Capital Power Corporation | 1 | 50.4 MW |
| NRG Solar Roadrunner | 1 | 20.2 MW |
| Phelps Dodge Refining Corp | 1 | 19.6 MW |
| SunE EPE2, LLC | 1 | 12 MW |
| Newman Solar LLC | 1 | 10.5 MW |
| Standard Solar | 2 | 10 MW |