Desert Star Energy Center
Natural gas power plant in Clark County, Nevada. 366.4 MW of nameplate capacity across 2 generators, operated by Desert Star Energy Center SDG&E.
Also known as EIA plant 55077
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 366.4 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 2 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- May 2000First generator online
- Operator
- Desert Star Energy Center SDG&EEIA operator ID 5695
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Clark County, NV35.7889, −114.9942
- EIA plant ID
- 55077EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Desert Star produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
375 GWh
375,029 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
8.0%
2024: 21.7%
January to July 2026
239 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
0.4–2.2
TWh a year. Low 2025, high 2015
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,126,767 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 2,066,840 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 3,326,924 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 3,240,818 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 3,002,201 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 3,350,510 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 3,533,824 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 2,501,889 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 3,546,627 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 3,275,785 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 3,070,079 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 2,750,837 | 58.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 2,441,959 | 51.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 2,763,077 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 1,539,121 | 32.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 2,184,488 | 46.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 1,223,034 | 26.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 1,051,947 | 22.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 1,659,922 | 35.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 1,314,502 | 28.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 1,021,280 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 999,264 | 21.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 1,519,883 | 32.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 1,647,411 | 35.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 1,023,123 | 21.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 375,029 | 8.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 238,666 | 8.7% | 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 CAMPDCO₂, 2025
174,926
US short tons. 2024: 433,256
SO₂, 2025
1
US short tons
NOx, 2025
17
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.47 t
About 933 lb per MWh
2 of 2 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (EDE1, EDE2), matched to EIA plant 55077 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
Not reported
million gallons as reported; not used, see note
Consumption, 2024
Not reported
million gallons
Source
Not reported
Dry cooling
Watershed stress
Low · 0.205
USGS SUI, HUC12 Desert Queen Well
0 of 12 cooling months report withdrawal. Dry cooling with no reported withdrawal; not tested. Consumption is below 5% of a large reported withdrawal, so the withdrawal is not used. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED01 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 170.9 | May 2000 |
| ED03 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 195.5 | May 2000 |
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 Desert Star Energy Center SDG&E 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 Desert Star
Questions about Desert Star
How much power does Desert Star Energy Center produce?
Desert Star Energy Center reported 375,029 MWh (375 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 8.0% capacity factor on 366.4 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 239 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Desert Star Energy Center?
Desert Star Energy Center is in Clark County, Nevada, at 35.7889, −114.9942. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Desert Star Energy Center?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Desert Star Energy Center SDG&E as the operator (EIA operator ID 5695). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Desert Star Energy Center start operating?
Its first generator began operating in May 2000, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Desert Star Energy Center?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Desert Star Energy Center, 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)
- EPA CAMPD annual emissions through the EPA–EIA crosswalk, 1995 to 2025
- CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices; node and hub assignments as of 2026-10-05
- 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
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page