Power plants in the WAPA Desert Southwest balancing area
The WAPA Desert Southwest balancing area takes in 24 power plants with 7,136 MW of nameplate capacity, the 25th-largest of the 40 areas covered here. Its plants sit in three states, with Arizona holding 80% of the capacity. Hydroelectric makes up 53% of the mix, and the largest plant is Glen Canyon Dam (1,312 MW). Since 2020, 1,220 MW has come online here, 38% of it solar.
- Hydroelectric3,790 MW53%
- Natural gas1,982 MW28%
- Solar579 MW8.1%
- Wind350 MW4.9%
- Coal204 MW2.9%
- Battery storage190 MW2.7%
- Pumped-storage hydro40 MW0.6%
- Oil and petroleum1.5 MW0.0%
Capacity by decade it came online
CoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricPumped-storage hydroWindSolarBattery storage
Above the line: capacity operating in 2025. Below: capacity retired at plants that still run.
The 24 largest plants in the area
| Rank | Plant | State | Runs on | Capacity | First unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glen Canyon Dam | Arizona | Hydroelectric | 1,312 MW | 1964 |
| 2 | Hoover Dam (AZ) | Arizona | Hydroelectric | 1,039 MW | 1936 |
| 3 | Hoover Dam (NV) | Nevada | Hydroelectric | 1,039 MW | 1936 |
| 4 | Apache Station | Arizona | Natural gas | 782 MW | 1963 |
| 5 | South Point Energy Center | Arizona | Natural gas | 708 MW | 2001 |
| 6 | Sundance | Arizona | Natural gas | 695 MW | 2002 |
| 7 | Mohave County Wind Farm | Arizona | Wind | 350 MW | 2020 |
| 8 | Townsite Solar Project Hybrid | Nevada | Solar | 270 MW | 2021 |
| 9 | Davis Dam | Arizona | Hydroelectric | 255 MW | 1951 |
| 10 | Roadrunner Solar and BESS | Arizona | Solar | 235 MW | 2025 |
| 11 | Parker Dam | California | Hydroelectric | 120 MW | 1942 |
| 12 | Kayenta Solar Project | Arizona | Solar | 55.3 MW | 2017 |
| 13 | Kingman Energy Storage | Arizona | Battery storage | 50 MW | 2025 |
| 14 | Apache Solar I | Arizona | Battery storage | 40 MW | 2017 |
| 15 | Waddell | Arizona | Pumped-storage hydro | 40 MW | 1993 |
| 16 | Mohave Energy - Hybrid | Arizona | Solar | 32.6 MW | 2023 |
| 17 | OE_AZ1 | Arizona | Solar | 32.5 MW | 2020 |
| 18 | Mohave Electric Cooperative at Joy Lane | Arizona | Battery storage | 25.9 MW | 2016 |
| 19 | Sulphur Springs | Arizona | Solar | 20 MW | 2016 |
| 20 | Headgate Rock | Arizona | Hydroelectric | 19.5 MW | 1993 |
| 21 | Mohave Electric at Fort Mohave | Arizona | Solar | 4.4 MW | 2015 |
| 22 | Siphon Drop Power Plant | California | Hydroelectric | 4.4 MW | 1987 |
| 23 | CFF Rice Mill Solar Plant | California | Solar | 3.5 MW | 2025 |
| 24 | University of Arizona - Biosphere 2 | Arizona | Natural gas | 3.1 MW | 1990 |
States
| State | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 19 | 5,699 MW |
| Nevada | 2 | 1,309 MW |
| California | 3 | 128 MW |
Operators with the most capacity
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| U S Bureau of Reclamation | 5 | 3,766 MW |
| Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc | 2 | 822 MW |
| South Point Energy Center LLC | 1 | 708 MW |
| Arizona Public Service Co | 1 | 695 MW |
| Mohave County Wind Farm | 1 | 350 MW |
| Townsite Solar, LLC | 1 | 270 MW |
| Clenera LLC | 1 | 235 MW |
| NGI-Kayenta Solar Lessor I, LLC | 1 | 55.3 MW |
| Kingman Energy Storage LLC | 1 | 50 MW |
| Central Arizona Water Conservation Dist | 1 | 40 MW |