Watson Cogeneration
Natural gas power plant in Los Angeles County, California. 405 MW of nameplate capacity across 6 generators, operated by ARCO Products Co-Watson.
Also known as EIA plant 50216
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 405 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 6 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- December 1987First generator online
- Operator
- ARCO Products Co-WatsonEIA operator ID 867
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Los Angeles County, CA33.8166, −118.2448
- EIA plant ID
- 50216EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Watson Cogeneration produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
2.33 TWh
2,334,449 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
65.8%
2024: 66.7%
January to July 2026
1.39 TWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
2.3–3.0
TWh a year. Low 2023, high 2016
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,894,781 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 2,850,245 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 3,010,277 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 2,008,696 | Not reported | 8 of 12 |
| 2004 | 3,082,173 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 3,031,370 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 2,999,575 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 3,027,826 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 3,016,961 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 2,978,391 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 3,016,350 | 85.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 2,999,352 | 84.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 3,066,078 | 86.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 3,111,957 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 3,067,299 | 86.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 3,024,774 | 85.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 3,047,620 | 85.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 3,019,601 | 85.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 2,988,696 | 84.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 3,036,844 | 85.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 2,963,174 | 83.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 2,941,105 | 82.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 2,567,893 | 72.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 2,329,966 | 65.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 2,372,437 | 66.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 2,334,449 | 65.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 1,394,499 | 67.7% | 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 account · CAISOEmissions
Free · EPA CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSNo EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| GN91 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 82.0 | March 1988 |
| GN92 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 82.0 | February 1988 |
| GN93 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 82.0 | January 1988 |
| GN94 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 82.0 | December 1987 |
| GN95 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 38.5 | February 1988 |
| GN96 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 38.5 | December 1987 |
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 ARCO Products Co-Watson 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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Questions about Watson Cogeneration
How much power does Watson Cogeneration produce?
Watson Cogeneration reported 2,334,449 MWh (2.33 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 65.8% capacity factor on 405 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 1.39 TWh, which is provisional.
Where is Watson Cogeneration?
Watson Cogeneration is in Los Angeles County, California, at 33.8166, −118.2448. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Watson Cogeneration?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists ARCO Products Co-Watson as the operator (EIA operator ID 867). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Watson Cogeneration start operating?
Its first generator began operating in December 1987, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Watson Cogeneration?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Watson Cogeneration, with the hub price and node-to-hub basis. Prices are free with an InfraMap account; pricing node names are part of InfraMap Pro.
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)
- CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices; node and hub assignments as of 2026-10-05
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page