El Centro Hybrid
El Centro Hybrid is a natural gas plant in Imperial County, California, operated by Imperial Irrigation District. Within the Imperial Irrigation District balancing area it is the largest of 58 plants. A further 113 MW of new generating units is reported as planned or under construction on the site. Its oldest working unit dates from 1952, the second-earliest start among California’s 303 natural gas plants. Two units here can switch between natural gas and oil.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
388 MW
323 MW net summer capacity
7 operable units
- Gas combined cycle277 MW71%
- Gas steam turbine81.6 MW21%
- Battery30 MW7.7%
Unit by unit, 1952 to 2025
operating in 2025retiredreported planned retirementbar height follows unit size
Among California’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Diablo Canyon2,323 MW
- 2Dynegy Moss Landing Power Plant Hybrid1,848 MW
- 3Haynes1,739 MW
- 53Arica Solar399 MW
- 54Pio Pico Energy Center395 MW
- 55El Centro Hybridthis plant
- 56Magnolia Power Project388 MW
- 57Oberon II Solar Project375 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 866th of 14,286
- Power plants in California
- 55th of 1,870
- US natural gas plants
- 527th of 1,961
- Natural gas plants in California
- 35th of 303
- Plants run by Imperial Irrigation District
- 1st of 13
- Biggest single unit, among California’s plants
- 211th of 1,870
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Gas combined cycle | 34.5 MW | 32.5 MW | 1952 | Operating |
| 4 | Gas steam turbine | 81.6 MW | 67.6 MW | 1968 | Operating, retirement planned for 2029 |
| 2A | Gas combined cycle | 89.9 MW | 73 MW | 1993 | Operating |
| 30 | Gas combined cycle | 65.9 MW | 42 MW | 2012 | Operating |
| 31 | Gas combined cycle | 43.2 MW | 39 MW | 2012 | Operating |
| 32 | Gas combined cycle | 43.2 MW | 39 MW | 2012 | Operating |
| BESS | Battery | 30 MW | 30 MW | 2016 | Operating |
Retired units
Retired capacity here totals 50 MW, mostly natural gas units.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Gas steam turbine | 50 MW | 1957–2010 |
New units reported to EIA
| Technology | Nameplate | Expected | Stage at end of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas engine | 18.8 MW | 2029 | planned, approvals not yet sought |
| Gas engine | 18.8 MW | 2029 | planned, approvals not yet sought |
| Gas engine | 18.8 MW | 2029 | planned, approvals not yet sought |
| Gas engine | 18.8 MW | 2029 | planned, approvals not yet sought |
| Gas engine | 18.8 MW | 2029 | planned, approvals not yet sought |
| Gas engine | 18.8 MW | 2029 | planned, approvals not yet sought |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- Imperial Irrigation District
- Reliability region
- Western Electricity Coordinating Council
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 92 kV
- Water source
- Dogwood Canal
- Nearest town on record
- El Centro
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 32.802°N, 115.540°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sol Orchard El Centro PV | Solar | 20 MW | 0.4 mi west |
| IVC Solar | Solar | 3 MW | 2.8 mi northeast |
| Valencia 3 | Solar | 3 MW | 5.8 mi north |
| Second Imperial Geothermal | Geothermal | 74.5 MW | 6.1 mi south |
| Heber Geothermal | Geothermal | 91.5 MW | 6.2 mi south |
| Heber Solar | Solar | 10.9 MW | 6.2 mi south |
| Mesquite Lake Energy Park Plant 2 | Biomass and waste | 21 MW | 7.2 mi north |
| Spreckels Sugar Company | Natural gas | 8.9 MW | 7.7 mi north |