Frontera Energy Center
Natural gas power plant in Hidalgo County, Texas. 529 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by Frontera Generation Limited Partnership.
Also known as Energia Buenavista · EIA plant 55098
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 529 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- June 1999First generator online
- Operator
- Frontera Generation Limited PartnershipEIA operator ID 6519
- Grid
- ERCOTBalancing authority ERCO
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Hidalgo County, TX26.2080, −98.3992
- EIA plant ID
- 55098EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Frontera produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
1.96 TWh
1,958,986 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
42.3%
2024: 48.8%
January to July 2026
860 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
2.0–3.3
TWh a year. Low 2025, high 2015
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,289,992 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 1,654,481 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 1,345,813 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 1,249,719 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 1,059,487 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 1,594,294 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 2,036,942 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 2,309,132 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 183,892 | Not reported | 1 of 12 |
| 2009 | 2,212,874 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 2,001,394 | 43.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 2,412,373 | 52.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 3,060,831 | 65.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 2,864,362 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 2,678,531 | 57.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 3,274,471 | 70.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 2,103,478 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2017 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2018 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2019 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2020 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2021 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2022 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2023 | 1,072,507 | 39.5% | 7 of 12 |
| 2024 | 2,266,170 | 48.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 1,958,986 | 42.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 859,524 | 31.9% | 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 CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSWithdrawal, 2024
1,420
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
1,025
million gallons
Source
Rio Grande River - Hidalgo Irr Dist
Surface, Fresh. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
Severe · 0.830
USGS SUI, HUC12 Llano Grande Lake-Arroyo Colorado
12 of 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 172.0 | June 1999 |
| GEN2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 172.0 | July 1999 |
| GEN3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 185.0 | 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 Frontera Generation Limited Partnership 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 Frontera
How much power does Frontera Energy Center produce?
Frontera Energy Center reported 1,958,986 MWh (1.96 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 42.3% capacity factor on 529 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 860 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Frontera Energy Center?
Frontera Energy Center is in Hidalgo County, Texas, at 26.2080, −98.3992. It is in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. balancing area (ERCO).
Who operates Frontera Energy Center?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Frontera Generation Limited Partnership as the operator (EIA operator ID 6519). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Frontera Energy Center start operating?
Its first generator began operating in June 1999, 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)
- 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