Buena Vista Energy Center
Otero County, New Mexico · EIA plant ID 66408 · Operator: Buena Vista Energy Center, LLC
Nameplate170MWSummer 170 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation382GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor37%solar units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online2023
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), solar 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.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 266.4 | 44.2% | — |
| 2024 | 384.6 | 36.8% | — |
| 2025 | 387.7 | 37.2% | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BESS1 | Batteries | BA | 50 | 50 | Jun 2023 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| BVEC1 | Solar Photovoltaic | PV | 120 | 120 | Jun 2023 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Buena Vista Energy Center, LLC. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Buena Vista Energy Center, LLC | 100.0% | 170 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Buena Vista Energy Center III | — | 0 km |
| SunE EPE1 LLC | 10 MW | 6.4 km |
| Newman | 1,110 MW | 16.6 km |
| Newman Solar | 11 MW | 16.6 km |
| Newman Buffer | — | 17.5 km |
| New Mexico State University | 5 MW | 19.1 km |