Desert Basin
Natural gas power plant in Pinal County, Arizona. 745.1 MW of nameplate capacity across 5 generators, operated by Salt River Project.
Also known as Desert Basin Generating Station · EIA plant 55129
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 745.1 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 5 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- October 2001First generator online
- Operator
- Salt River ProjectEIA operator ID 16572
- Grid
- SRPBalancing authority SRP
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Pinal County, AZ32.9042, −111.7889
- EIA plant ID
- 55129EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Desert Basin produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
2.08 TWh
2,084,973 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
31.9%
2024: 41.9%
January to July 2026
1.35 TWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
1.0–3.0
TWh a year. Low 2017, high 2023
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2001 | 773,119 | Not reported | 3 of 12 |
| 2002 | 3,543,743 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 2,938,605 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 2,462,092 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 2,446,371 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 1,340,878 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 1,643,070 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 1,546,498 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 1,092,922 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 1,163,967 | 20.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 679,646 | 12.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 1,123,309 | 19.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 889,387 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 1,464,694 | 25.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 1,953,793 | 34.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 1,154,728 | 20.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 1,032,878 | 18.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 2,335,543 | 41.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 2,220,079 | 39.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 1,801,698 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 1,865,594 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 251,333 | Not reported | 4 of 12 |
| 2023 | 2,994,698 | 45.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 2,741,391 | 41.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 2,084,973 | 31.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 1,350,724 | 35.6% | 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
953,268
US short tons. 2024: 1.25M
SO₂, 2025
5
US short tons
NOx, 2025
86
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.46 t
About 914 lb per MWh
4 of 4 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (DBG1, DBG2, DBG4, DBG5), matched to EIA plant 55129 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
844
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
844
million gallons
Source
Central Arizona Project Canal
Surface, Fresh. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
High · 0.746
USGS SUI, HUC12 North Branch Santa Cruz Wash
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 187.0 | October 2001 |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 187.0 | October 2001 |
| CTG4 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49.5 | September 2022 |
| CTG5 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49.5 | September 2022 |
| STG | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 272.1 | October 2001 |
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 Salt River Project 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 Basin
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Questions about Desert Basin
How much power does Desert Basin produce?
Desert Basin reported 2,084,973 MWh (2.08 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 31.9% capacity factor on 745.1 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 1.35 TWh, which is provisional.
Where is Desert Basin?
Desert Basin is in Pinal County, Arizona, at 32.9042, −111.7889. It is in the Salt River Project balancing area (SRP).
Who operates Desert Basin?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Salt River Project as the operator (EIA operator ID 16572). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Desert Basin start operating?
Its first generator began operating in October 2001, 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