Desert Basin
Pinal County, Arizona · EIA plant ID 55129 · Operator: Salt River Project
Nameplate745MWSummer 704 MW
Generators5in service
Net generation2,370GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor38%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate7,578Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online2001Runs 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 | 773.1 | — | — |
| 2002 | 3,543.7 | — | — |
| 2003 | 2,938.6 | 58.3% | 7,295 |
| 2004 | 2,462.1 | 48.8% | 7,307 |
| 2005 | 2,446.4 | 48.6% | 7,350 |
| 2006 | 1,340.9 | 26.5% | 7,476 |
| 2007 | 1,643.1 | 32.5% | 7,485 |
| 2008 | 1,546.5 | 30.5% | 7,466 |
| 2009 | 1,092.9 | 21.6% | 7,537 |
| 2010 | 1,164 | 23.0% | 7,432 |
| 2011 | 679.6 | 13.5% | 7,570 |
| 2012 | 1,123.3 | 22.2% | 7,430 |
| 2013 | 889.4 | 17.6% | 7,426 |
| 2014 | 1,464.7 | 29.0% | 7,385 |
| 2015 | 1,953.8 | 38.6% | 7,329 |
| 2016 | 1,154.7 | 22.8% | 7,541 |
| 2017 | 1,032.9 | 20.4% | 7,546 |
| 2018 | 2,335.5 | 46.2% | 7,373 |
| 2019 | 2,220.1 | 43.9% | 7,415 |
| 2020 | 1,801.7 | 34.9% | 7,378 |
| 2021 | 1,865.6 | 36.9% | 7,456 |
| 2022 | 1,401.1 | 24.8% | 7,577 |
| 2023 | 2,994.7 | 48.6% | 7,384 |
| 2024 | 2,741.4 | 44.3% | 7,341 |
| 2025 | 2,085 | 33.8% | 7,378 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | CT | 187 | 182 | Oct 2001 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | CT | 187 | 182 | Oct 2001 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CTG4 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 49.5 | 43.4 | Sep 2022 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CTG5 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 49.5 | 43.4 | Sep 2022 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| STG | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | CA | 272.1 | 253 | Oct 2001 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Salt River Project. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Salt River Project | 100.0% | 745 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Walmart Casa Grande | retired | 4.5 km |
| Union HS at Casa Grande | 2 MW | 5.9 km |
| Vista Grande HS at Casa Grande | 1 MW | 7.2 km |
| Sundance | 695 MW | 18.8 km |
| Eleven Mile Solar Center | 600 MW | 19 km |
| East Line Solar | 100 MW | 21.8 km |