Frontera Energy Center
Hidalgo County, Texas · EIA plant ID 55098 · Operator: Frontera Generation Limited Partnership
Nameplate529MWSummer 535 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation1,912GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor41%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate7,163Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1999Runs 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 | 1,654.5 | — | — |
| 2002 | 1,345.8 | — | — |
| 2003 | 1,249.7 | 30.0% | 7,578 |
| 2004 | 1,059.5 | 25.4% | 7,722 |
| 2005 | 1,594.3 | 38.3% | 7,749 |
| 2006 | 2,036.9 | 48.9% | 7,413 |
| 2007 | 2,309.1 | 55.5% | 7,393 |
| 2008 | 2,041 | 48.9% | 7,765 |
| 2009 | 2,212.9 | 53.2% | 7,422 |
| 2010 | 2,001.4 | 48.1% | 7,464 |
| 2011 | 2,412.4 | 58.0% | 7,345 |
| 2012 | 3,060.8 | 73.4% | 7,177 |
| 2013 | 2,864.4 | 65.4% | 7,242 |
| 2014 | 2,678.5 | 61.2% | 7,320 |
| 2015 | 3,274.5 | 74.8% | 7,220 |
| 2016 | 2,103.5 | 59.8% | 7,193 |
| 2023 | 1,072.5 | 22.9% | 7,347 |
| 2024 | 2,266.2 | 48.2% | 7,212 |
| 2025 | 1,959 | 41.8% | 7,246 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | CT | 172 | 177 | Jun 1999 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| GEN2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | CT | 172 | 177 | Jul 1999 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| GEN3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | CA | 185 | 181 | May 2000 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Frontera Generation Limited Partnership. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Frontera Generation Limited Partnership | 100.0% | 529 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Palmview BESS | 10 MW | 4.5 km |
| Regis Goodwin LLC | 10 MW | 6.8 km |
| SMT Mission LLC | 10 MW | 7.9 km |
| Madero Grid | 100 MW | 8.1 km |
| SME Mission II BESS | 10 MW | 8.7 km |
| Ignacio Grid Energy Storage System | 100 MW | 8.7 km |