Carlsbad Energy Center
Natural gas power plant in San Diego County, California. 659 MW of nameplate capacity across 5 generators, operated by NRG California Peaker Operations LLC.
Also known as EIA plant 59002
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 659 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 5 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- December 2018First generator online
- Operator
- NRG California Peaker Operations LLCEIA operator ID 58847
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 2 CAISO nodesResource nodes with prices
- Location
- San Diego County, CA33.1405, −117.3339
- EIA plant ID
- 59002EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Carlsbad produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
216 GWh
216,211 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
3.7%
2024: 4.4%
January to July 2026
92.4 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2019 to 2025
216.2–394.9
GWh a year. Low 2025, high 2021
| 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 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2004 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2005 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2006 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2007 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2008 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2009 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2010 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2011 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2012 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2013 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2014 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2015 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2016 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2017 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2018 | 132,599 | Not reported | 7 of 12 |
| 2019 | 372,058 | 6.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 388,042 | 6.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 394,864 | 6.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 336,202 | 5.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 296,369 | 5.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 256,324 | 4.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 216,211 | 3.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 92,366 | 2.8% | 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
133,577
US short tons. 2024: 155,633
SO₂, 2025
1
US short tons
NOx, 2025
10
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.62 t
About 1,236 lb per MWh
5 of 5 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (10, 6, 7, 8, 9), matched to EIA plant 59002 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, USGSNo EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEC 6 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 131.8 | December 2018 |
| CEC 7 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 131.8 | December 2018 |
| CEC 8 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 131.8 | December 2018 |
| CEC 9 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 131.8 | December 2018 |
| CEC10 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 131.8 | December 2018 |
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 NRG California Peaker Operations 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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Power plants near Carlsbad
Questions about Carlsbad
How much power does Carlsbad Energy Center produce?
Carlsbad Energy Center reported 216,211 MWh (216 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 3.7% capacity factor on 659 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 92.4 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Carlsbad Energy Center?
Carlsbad Energy Center is in San Diego County, California, at 33.1405, −117.3339. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Carlsbad Energy Center?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists NRG California Peaker Operations LLC as the operator (EIA operator ID 58847). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Carlsbad Energy Center start operating?
Its first generator began operating in December 2018, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Carlsbad Energy Center?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 2 price nodes linked to Carlsbad 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
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page