Carlsbad Energy Center
San Diego County, California · EIA plant ID 59002 · Operator: Carlsbad Energy Center
Nameplate659MWSummer 528 MW
Generators5in service
Net generation203GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor4%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate10,337Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online2018Runs 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 132.6 | 33.8% | 9,710 |
| 2019 | 372.1 | 8.1% | 11,137 |
| 2020 | 388 | 8.4% | 11,403 |
| 2021 | 394.9 | 8.6% | 11,155 |
| 2022 | 336.2 | 7.3% | 10,388 |
| 2023 | 296.4 | 6.4% | 10,043 |
| 2024 | 256.3 | 5.5% | 10,105 |
| 2025 | 216.2 | 4.7% | 10,242 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEC 6 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 131.8 | 105.5 | Dec 2018 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CEC 7 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 131.8 | 105.5 | Dec 2018 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CEC 8 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 131.8 | 105.5 | Dec 2018 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CEC 9 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 131.8 | 105.5 | Dec 2018 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| CEC10 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 131.8 | 105.5 | Dec 2018 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Carlsbad Energy Center. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Carlsbad Energy Center LLC | 100.0% | 659 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Legoland CA Phase I | 1 MW | 2.9 km |
| Encina Water Pollution Control | 3 MW | 2.9 km |
| Life Technologies Carlsbad | 1 MW | 4.4 km |
| San Diego Sockers | 1 MW | 7.7 km |
| GEN005 Antibody Fuel Cell | 3 MW | 8.5 km |
| Genentech-Oceanside Hybrid | 7 MW | 8.5 km |