Los Medanos Energy Center
Natural gas power plant in Contra Costa County, California. 678.3 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by Los Medanos Energy Center LLC.
Also known as EIA plant 55217
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 678.3 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- August 2001First generator online
- Operator
- Los Medanos Energy Center LLCEIA operator ID 2843
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Contra Costa County, CA38.0301, −121.8730
- EIA plant ID
- 55217EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Los Medanos produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
2.49 TWh
2,485,539 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
41.8%
2024: 54.4%
January to July 2026
1.17 TWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
2.5–3.6
TWh a year. Low 2025, high 2022
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2001 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2002 | 3,611,388 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 3,255,848 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 3,690,627 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 3,594,588 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 2,935,701 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 3,476,895 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 3,064,966 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 3,358,185 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 3,290,905 | 55.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 2,677,759 | 45.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 3,594,416 | 60.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 3,524,876 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 3,540,552 | 59.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 2,603,567 | 43.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 2,852,471 | 47.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 3,205,562 | 53.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 3,274,740 | 55.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 2,707,149 | 45.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 2,976,024 | 49.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 3,329,130 | 56.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 3,557,559 | 59.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 3,062,096 | 51.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 3,241,422 | 54.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 2,485,539 | 41.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 1,169,211 | 33.9% | 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 account · CAISOEmissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
1.13M
US short tons. 2024: 1.49M
SO₂, 2025
6
US short tons
NOx, 2025
123
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.46 t
About 910 lb per MWh
2 of 2 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (X724, X725), matched to EIA plant 55217 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
808
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
493
million gallons
Source
Delta Diablo Sanitation Dist
Discharge, Reclaimed. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
High · 0.605
USGS SUI, HUC12 Kirker Creek-Frontal Suisun Bay Estuaries
12 of 12 cooling months report withdrawal. Reclaimed water or plant effluent; not tested. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 198.9 | August 2001 |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 198.9 | August 2001 |
| STG3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 280.5 | August 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 Los Medanos Energy Center LLC 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 Los Medanos
How much power does Los Medanos Energy Center produce?
Los Medanos Energy Center reported 2,485,539 MWh (2.49 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 41.8% capacity factor on 678.3 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 1.17 TWh, which is provisional.
Where is Los Medanos Energy Center?
Los Medanos Energy Center is in Contra Costa County, California, at 38.0301, −121.8730. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Los Medanos Energy Center?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Los Medanos Energy Center LLC as the operator (EIA operator ID 2843). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Los Medanos Energy Center start operating?
Its first generator began operating in August 2001, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Los Medanos Energy Center?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Los Medanos 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