133.4 MW Solar operating in San Bernardino, CA — California Independent System Operator
133.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Thermal without Energy Storage
Technology
2013
Operating Since
Coordinates
35.5760, -115.4820
County
San Bernardino, CA
Nearby Plants
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NRG Energy Services | NRG Energy | — |
| Owner(s) | Solar Partners VIII LLC | BrightSource Energy Inc [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ivanpah 3 is a 133.4 MW solar thermal power plant located in San Bernardino County, California. The plant, which began operating in 2013, is owned and operated by NRG Energy Services. It utilizes solar thermal technology without energy storage and employs dual-axis solar tracking. As of the most recent data, Ivanpah 3 ranks 40th out of 59 power plants in California and 452nd nationally out of 639 plants.
The plant's primary fuel source is the sun. In its latest annual reporting period, Ivanpah 3 generated 237,374 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 20.3%. The facility consists of a single generator. Ivanpah 3 operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Commercial
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
13.7K MWh
Latest Month
237.4K MWh
Annual Generation
20.3%
Capacity Factor
No financial data available for this plant.
Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Ivanpah Substation · 230 kV
Substation Distance
0 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
TOT242GN_7_N001
Pricing Hub
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
Curated node match
Errant concentrated sunbeam starts fire at solar thermal plant in the desert
Fire took out one of Ivanpah's 3 towers, hurting the plant at a critical time.
California’s New Solar Plant: Burning Up Taxpayer Money, Land, and Wildlife
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Southern California Mojave desert began operations in February, and it is huge.
Last updated 2026-03-14
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