CopperRetirement planned
El Paso County, Texas · EIA plant ID 9 · Operator: El Paso Electric Co
Nameplate87MWSummer 63 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation28GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor5%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate17,473Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1980Runs as peaking
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 | 129.2 | 21.4% | 14,735 |
| 2002 | 24.6 | 4.1% | 13,381 |
| 2003 | 11.2 | 1.8% | 15,773 |
| 2004 | 6.2 | 1.0% | 17,349 |
| 2005 | 16.5 | 2.7% | 16,231 |
| 2006 | 16.4 | 3.0% | 16,299 |
| 2007 | 16 | 2.9% | 16,230 |
| 2008 | 18.1 | 3.3% | 16,621 |
| 2009 | 17.4 | 3.2% | 12,950 |
| 2010 | 14.5 | 2.7% | 15,718 |
| 2011 | 39 | 7.2% | 17,639 |
| 2012 | 37.4 | 6.9% | 18,985 |
| 2013 | 37.6 | 6.9% | 16,814 |
| 2014 | 39.9 | 7.3% | 16,339 |
| 2015 | 24.9 | 4.6% | 17,715 |
| 2016 | 33.1 | 6.1% | 16,532 |
| 2017 | 18.9 | 3.5% | 18,878 |
| 2018 | 47.3 | 8.4% | 16,514 |
| 2019 | 39.5 | 7.2% | 17,417 |
| 2020 | 33.9 | 6.1% | 19,645 |
| 2021 | 29 | 5.3% | 19,716 |
| 2022 | 47.3 | 8.6% | 19,432 |
| 2023 | 48.7 | 8.8% | 18,785 |
| 2024 | 49.8 | 9.0% | 18,119 |
| 2025 | 27.8 | 5.0% | 17,473 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 86.9 | 63 | Jul 1980 | Operating · retirement planned | Dec 2030 | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: El Paso Electric Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| El Paso Electric Co | 100.0% | 87 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Phelps Dodge Refining | 20 MW | 1.8 km |
| TJX 2021 DG El Paso DC | 2 MW | 6.7 km |
| Fort Bliss (DEA EPIC) | 2 MW | 8.1 km |
| Providence Memorial Hospital | 4 MW | 12 km |
| Montana Solar Facility | 3 MW | 16 km |
| Montana Power Station | 527 MW | 17.1 km |