Kern River Cogeneration
Kern County, California · EIA plant ID 10496 · Operator: Kern River Cogeneration Co
Nameplate300MWSummer 288 MW
Generators4in service
Net generation80GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor3%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate5,984Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1985Runs as peaking
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), gas/coal/oil units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,365.5 | 92.0% | 5,775 |
| 2002 | 2,553.8 | 98.9% | 5,505 |
| 2003 | 2,601.5 | 101.3% | 5,165 |
| 2004 | 2,575.6 | 98.5% | 4,668 |
| 2005 | 2,311.6 | 99.7% | 4,668 |
| 2006 | 1,409.2 | 55.9% | 4,668 |
| 2007 | 1,256.6 | 49.8% | 4,668 |
| 2008 | 1,251.1 | 49.5% | 4,676 |
| 2009 | 1,230.5 | 48.8% | 4,685 |
| 2010 | 1,301.5 | 51.6% | 4,742 |
| 2011 | 1,271.9 | 50.4% | 4,700 |
| 2012 | 1,295.9 | 51.2% | 4,765 |
| 2013 | 1,285 | 50.9% | 4,721 |
| 2014 | 743.9 | 29.5% | 4,778 |
| 2015 | 719.3 | 28.5% | 4,763 |
| 2016 | 691.7 | 27.3% | 6,029 |
| 2017 | 702.9 | 27.9% | 5,999 |
| 2018 | 729.5 | 28.9% | 5,956 |
| 2019 | 631.1 | 25.0% | 5,964 |
| 2020 | 448.9 | 17.8% | 5,960 |
| 2021 | 206.5 | 8.2% | 5,961 |
| 2022 | 442.7 | 17.5% | 5,927 |
| 2023 | 195.4 | 7.8% | 5,915 |
| 2024 | 217.5 | 8.6% | 5,906 |
| 2025 | 112.4 | 4.5% | 6,013 |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTAG | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 75 | 72 | Jul 1985 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| GTBG | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 75 | 72 | Jul 1985 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| GTCG | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 75 | 72 | Jul 1985 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| GTDG | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 75 | 72 | Jul 1985 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Kern River Cogeneration Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Kern River Cogeneration Co | 100.0% | 300 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Sycamore Cogeneration | 300 MW | 0.1 km |
| Kern River Eastridge Cogen | 49 MW | 2.4 km |
| Western Power & Steam Inc | 28 MW | 2.8 km |
| Southeast Kern River Cogen | 31 MW | 3.9 km |
| Bakersfield College Solar 01 | 1 MW | 4.7 km |
| Live Oak Limited | 46 MW | 5.4 km |