CunninghamRetirement planned
Lea County, New Mexico · EIA plant ID 2454 · Operator: Southwestern Public Service Co
×75 MW natural gas retired since 2020 (latest Jan 2024)
Nameplate444MWSummer 390 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation1,740GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor51%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate11,172Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1965Runs as baseload
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 | 1,380.1 | — | — |
| 2002 | 1,216 | — | — |
| 2003 | 1,058.3 | 24.8% | 11,142 |
| 2004 | 1,234.3 | 28.8% | 10,784 |
| 2005 | 1,405.6 | 33.0% | 10,781 |
| 2006 | 1,392.8 | 32.8% | 10,847 |
| 2007 | 1,397.1 | 32.9% | 11,337 |
| 2008 | 1,457.6 | 34.2% | 10,593 |
| 2009 | 884.9 | 20.8% | 11,259 |
| 2010 | 830.6 | 19.8% | 11,027 |
| 2011 | 1,133.9 | 27.5% | 11,007 |
| 2012 | 1,040.8 | 25.4% | 10,718 |
| 2013 | 1,001.3 | 24.5% | 10,847 |
| 2014 | 1,054.4 | 25.8% | 10,920 |
| 2015 | 937.9 | 23.0% | 10,973 |
| 2016 | 1,340.9 | 32.8% | 10,934 |
| 2017 | 877.7 | 21.5% | 11,134 |
| 2018 | 1,156.1 | 28.7% | 10,978 |
| 2019 | 1,707.6 | 42.1% | 11,234 |
| 2020 | 1,291.3 | 31.8% | 11,438 |
| 2021 | 869.3 | 21.4% | 11,477 |
| 2022 | 1,142.6 | 28.2% | 11,350 |
| 2023 | 1,294.6 | 31.9% | 11,199 |
| 2024 | 1,745.5 | 50.9% | 10,940 |
| 2025 | 1,792 | 52.4% | 11,091 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | ST | 190.4 | 183 | Jan 1965 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2027 | coming soon |
| 3 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 126.9 | 106 | May 1998 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2040 | coming soon |
| 4 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 126.9 | 101 | May 1998 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2040 | coming soon |
| 1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | ST | 75 | 71 | Jan 1957 | Retired Jan 2024 | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Southwestern Public Service Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Southwestern Public Service Co | 100.0% | 444 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Hobbs Generating Station | 682 MW | 4.4 km |
| Maddox | 212 MW | 4.9 km |
| SPS4 Monument | 10 MW | 5.8 km |
| AC Ranch II | — | 7.6 km |
| AC Ranch I | — | 7.6 km |
| Cunningham Solar I & BESS | 108 MW | 8.1 km |