Rio Grande
Natural gas power plant in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. 348.3 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by El Paso Electric Co.
Also known as Rio Grande Power Plant · EIA plant 2444
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 348.3 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- June 1958First generator online
- Operator
- El Paso Electric CoEIA operator ID 5701
- Grid
- EPEBalancing authority EPE
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Dona Ana County, NM31.8047, −106.5472
- EIA plant ID
- 2444EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Rio Grande produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
790 GWh
789,889 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
Not reported
2024: 28.2%
January to July 2026
538 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2016 to 2025
606.4–985.2
GWh a year. Low 2022, high 2024
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 975,026 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 749,928 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 720,534 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 785,881 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 673,234 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 688,884 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 608,372 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 639,514 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 737,827 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 471,169 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 729,685 | 31.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 701,436 | 30.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 753,874 | 32.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 536,889 | Not reported | 8 of 12 |
| 2014 | 342,275 | 25.4% | 5 of 12 |
| 2015 | 671,000 | 22.4% | 11 of 12 |
| 2016 | 766,588 | 23.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 828,485 | 25.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 642,022 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 927,185 | 26.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 884,107 | 25.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 727,480 | 20.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 606,445 | 17.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 895,066 | 25.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 985,245 | 28.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 789,889 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 538,420 | 30.4% | 7 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
560,876
US short tons. 2024: 607,557
SO₂, 2025
1
US short tons
NOx, 2025
727
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.71 t
About 1,420 lb per MWh
4 of 4 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (6, 7, 8, 9), matched to EIA plant 2444 through the EPA–EIA crosswalk. The per-MWh rate is EPA CO₂ divided by EIA-923 net generation. The two reporting boundaries can differ.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSWithdrawal, 2024
644
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
514
million gallons
Source
Wells
Surface, Fresh. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
Low · 0.310
USGS SUI, HUC12 City of Coronado Hills-Rio Grande
36 of 36 cooling months report withdrawal. SUI of the HUC12 containing the plant. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 50.0 | June 1958 |
| 8 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 166.5 | July 1972 |
| 9 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 131.8 | May 2013 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists El Paso Electric Co as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
Generation potential vs reported
Monthly potential at seasonal net capability, next to EIA-923 output. Shows how much of the plant's capability was used.
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Power plants near Rio Grande
More plants operated by El Paso Electric Co
Questions about Rio Grande
How much power does Rio Grande produce?
Rio Grande reported 789,889 MWh (790 GWh) of net generation in 2025. From January to July 2026 it reported 538 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Rio Grande?
Rio Grande is in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, at 31.8047, −106.5472. It is in the El Paso Electric Company balancing area (EPE).
Who operates Rio Grande?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists El Paso Electric Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 5701). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Rio Grande start operating?
Its first generator began operating in June 1958, according to EIA-860M.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- EPA CAMPD annual emissions through the EPA–EIA crosswalk, 1995 to 2025
- EIA-923 cooling water 2024 and the USGS surface water supply and use index, Water years 2010-2020 (Oct 2009 to Sep 2020), mean of monthly values
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page