Los Esteros Critical Energy Center
Natural gas power plant in Santa Clara County, California. 306.1 MW of nameplate capacity across 5 generators, operated by Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility LLC.
Also known as Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility · EIA plant 55748
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 306.1 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 5 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- February 2003First generator online
- Operator
- Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility LLCEIA operator ID 2860
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Santa Clara County, CA37.4250, −121.9319
- EIA plant ID
- 55748EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Los Esteros Critical produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
157 GWh
156,503 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
5.8%
2024: 8.7%
January to July 2026
75.9 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
153.9–356.4
GWh a year. Low 2016, high 2018
| 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 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2003 | 158,379 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 269,705 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 266,614 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 78,190 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 65,704 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 75,383 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 73,689 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 39,542 | 2.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 66,525 | 4.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 297,482 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 254,382 | 9.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 351,570 | 13.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 153,933 | 5.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 225,507 | 8.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 356,431 | 13.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 215,552 | 8.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 273,196 | 10.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 303,113 | 11.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 180,099 | 6.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 179,539 | 6.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 233,318 | 8.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 156,503 | 5.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 75,899 | 4.9% | 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
83,314
US short tons. 2024: 123,859
SO₂, 2025
0
US short tons
NOx, 2025
5
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.53 t
About 1,065 lb per MWh
4 of 4 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (CTG1, CTG2, CTG3, CTG4), matched to EIA plant 55748 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
87
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
72
million gallons
Source
City of San Jose Municipal
Discharge, Reclaimed. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
Low · 0.360
USGS SUI, HUC12 San Jose State University-Frontal San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAG5 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 126.1 | August 2013 |
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 45.0 | February 2003 |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 45.0 | February 2003 |
| CTG3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 45.0 | February 2003 |
| CTG4 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 45.0 | February 2003 |
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 Esteros Critical Energy Facility 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 Esteros Critical
How much power does Los Esteros Critical Energy Center produce?
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center reported 156,503 MWh (157 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 5.8% capacity factor on 306.1 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 75.9 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Los Esteros Critical Energy Center?
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center is in Santa Clara County, California, at 37.4250, −121.9319. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Los Esteros Critical Energy Center?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility LLC as the operator (EIA operator ID 2860). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Los Esteros Critical Energy Center start operating?
Its first generator began operating in February 2003, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Los Esteros Critical Energy Center?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Los Esteros Critical 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
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page