Second Imperial Geothermal — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 54111
- Capacity
- 74.5 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Geothermal
- Technology
- Geothermal
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Imperial, CA
- Operating Since
- 2006
- Generators
- 4
- Operator
- ORCAL Geothermal, Inc
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 302,329 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 46.2%
- Balancing Authority
- Imperial Irrigation District
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Second Imperial Geothermal
OperatingGeothermal
Ranked #11 of 33 Geothermal plants in CA#15 of 70 nationally
74.5 MW Geothermal operating in Imperial, CA — Imperial Irrigation District
EIAGEMWD
74.5 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Geothermal
Technology
2006
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
32.7144, -115.5356
County
Imperial, CA
Nearby Plants
- Heber SolarSolar10.9 MW · 0.5 km
- Heber GeothermalGeothermal91.5 MW · 1.6 km
- Mount Signal Solar Farm VSolar252.3 MW · 5.6 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | ORCAL Geothermal, Inc | ORCAL Geothermal Inc [100%] | — |
| Owner(s) | Ormat Nevada Inc, Second Imperial Geothermal Company | ORCAL Geothermal Inc [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as ORCAL Geothermal Inc [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Second Imperial Geothermal is a 74.5 MW geothermal power plant located in Imperial County, California. The plant began operating in 2006 and is owned and operated by ORCAL Geothermal, Inc. It consists of four generators utilizing geothermal technology and is fueled by geothermal resources (GEO). The plant operates within the Imperial Irrigation District balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
In the latest year of reported data, Second Imperial Geothermal generated 302,329 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 46.2%. The plant is a significant geothermal energy producer in California, ranking as the 11th largest out of 33 geothermal plants in the state, and 15th largest out of 70 nationally. The plant's operations have been the subject of 9 news articles, with coverage focusing on regulatory matters (5 articles), industry news (3 articles), and hazards (1 article).
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Imperial Irrigation District
Grid Voltage
92 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Independent Power Producer
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
Generation
26.7K MWh
Latest Month
302.3K MWh
Annual Generation
46.2%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (10)Beta
Regulatory·permitting
The plan to build a massive data center in Imperial County — without environmental review
As demand for computing power soars nationwide, a Southern California entrepreneur with past legal troubles is trying to speed forward an...
KPBS·4 weeks ago
General
What one company’s shift towards data centers says about Imperial County’s lithium industry
A California-based firm's decision to pivot from extracting lithium to generating power for data centers could mark a significant turning...
KPBS·4 weeks ago
Industry·partnership
Baker Hughes joins giant California geothermal power project
U.S. oilfield services firm Baker Hughes is collaborating with Controlled Thermal Resources in California to develop one of the world's...
Baker Hughes (other)Controlled Thermal Resources (other)
Reuters·6 months ago
General
Hell’s Kitchen: Can Lithium & Geothermal Power Thrive In The Salton Sea?
The Salton Sea's brines hold lithium and heat. CTR's Hell's Kitchen aims to tap both, but scaling DLE and shifting policy make the outcome...
CleanTechnica·6 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles