University of Arizona - Biosphere 2
Pinal County, Arizona · EIA plant ID 54594 · Operator: University of Arizona - Biosphere 2
Nameplate3MWSummer 3 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation0GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor0%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate18,820Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1990Runs as rarely runs
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 | 1.4 | — | — |
| 2002 | 0.5 | — | — |
| 2003 | 0.6 | 2.1% | 14,869 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0.1% | 27,823 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0.1% | 15,521 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| 2007 | 0.2 | 0.5% | 23,567 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| 2009 | 0.2 | 0.9% | 18,675 |
| 2010 | 0.1 | 0.3% | 21,287 |
| 2011 | 0.1 | 0.5% | 18,109 |
| 2012 | 0.2 | 0.5% | 15,715 |
| 2013 | 0.1 | 0.3% | 14,884 |
| 2014 | 0.1 | 0.2% | 14,987 |
| 2015 | 0.1 | 0.2% | 18,817 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0.2% | 19,898 |
| 2017 | 0.1 | 0.2% | 13,552 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0.1% | 13,714 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0.1% | 17,750 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0.1% | 27,048 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0.1% | 16,077 |
| 2022 | 0.1 | 0.2% | 19,736 |
| 2023 | 0.1 | 0.4% | 29,398 |
| 2024 | 0.1 | 0.2% | 18,830 |
| 2025 | 0.1 | 0.2% | 18,820 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G-1 | Petroleum Liquids | IC | 1.5 | 1.5 | Nov 1990 | Operating (Standby / backup) | — | coming soon |
| G-4 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | IC | 1.6 | 1.6 | Apr 2000 | Operating (Standby / backup) | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: University of Arizona - Biosphere 2. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| University of Arizona - Biosphere 2 | 100.0% | 3 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Canyon Del Oro High School Solar | 2 MW | 25.4 km |
| Pima Community College NW | 1 MW | 30.8 km |
| North Loop | 108 MW | 32.3 km |
| Amphitheater High School Solar | 1 MW | 36.2 km |
| Roger Road WWTP | 1 MW | 36.3 km |
| Demoss Petrie | 85 MW | 38.5 km |