Imperial Solar Energy Center South — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 57490
- Capacity
- 128.9 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Imperial, CA
- Operating Since
- 2013
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- CSOLAR IV South LLC
- Parent Company
- Tenaska Energy
- Annual Generation
- 264,268 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 23.3%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Imperial Solar Energy Center South
OperatingSolar
Ranked #94 of 963 Solar plants in CA#612 of 7447 nationally
128.9 MW Solar operating in Imperial, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
128.9 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2013
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
32.6633, -115.6583
County
Imperial, CA
Nearby Plants
- LeConte Energy StorageBESS125 MW · 1.9 km
- Drew Solar LLCSolar100 MW · 2.7 km
- Centinela Solar EnergySolar174.8 MW · 2.8 km
Ownership & Operator
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 | CSOLAR IV South LLC | First Solar | — |
| Owner(s) | Tenaska CSOLAR South Holdings, LLC, Tenaska CSOLAR South, LLC, Tenaska IV South Partners, LLC | Tenaska Energy | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center South is a 130 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant built in Imperial County, California. Construction began in December 2011 and full commercial operation was achieved in November 2013. Power is sold to San Diego Gas & Electric on a 25-year agreement.
Read more on WikipediaImperial Solar Energy Center South is a 128.9 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located in Imperial County, California. The plant began operating in 2013 and has one generator. It is owned by Tenaska Energy and operated by CSOLAR IV South LLC. The plant utilizes a fixed-tilt solar tracking system. It is interconnected to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
In the most recent year of data, the plant generated 264,268 MWh of electricity, resulting in a capacity factor of 23.3%. The plant's power purchase agreement (PPA) price is $148.44 per MWh. Imperial Solar Energy Center South is ranked as the 43rd largest solar plant in California out of 59, and 465th nationally out of 639.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
230 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Independent Power Producer
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
Generation
18.3K MWh
Latest Month
264.3K MWh
Annual Generation
23.3%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$117.5/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$148.4/MWh
PPA Price
$9.8/MWh
Energy Value
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
CSLR4S_2_SOLAR
Pricing Hub
TH_SP15_GEN-APND
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
News & Articles (10)Beta
Industry·corporate
'Dispatchable' renewables in spotlight after upbeat IEA report
Item 1 of 2 Arrays of photovoltaic solar panels are seen at the Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center South in this aerial photo taken over...
Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center South (operator)
Reuters·3 years ago
Industry·corporate
'It disturbs the environment': California NIMBYs oppose state's largest solar farm
Renewable energy developers and conservationists are clashing over utility-scale solar energy projects across the U.S. Southwest.
Financial Post·4 years ago
Industry·corporate
Millionth Panel Installed at First Large-Scale Solar Project in Imperial County
EL CENTRO, Calif. — Top Imperial County and Imperial Irrigation District (IID) officials helped mark a major milestone – the...
Imperial County (other)Imperial Irrigation District (other)
The Desert Review·7 years ago
Industry·corporate
China is utterly and totally dominating solar panels
China has emerged as the world's largest market for solar panels and in 2015 is expected to be home to a quarter of the planet's new energy...
China (other)
Fortune·10 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles