Imperial Solar Energy Center West — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 57491
- Capacity
- 148.7 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Imperial, CA
- Operating Since
- 2016
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- CSOLAR IV West LLC
- Parent Company
- Tenaska Energy
- Annual Generation
- 373,638 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 28.6%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Imperial Solar Energy Center West
OperatingSolar
Ranked #85 of 963 Solar plants in CA#557 of 7447 nationally
148.7 MW Solar operating in Imperial, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
148.7 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2016
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
32.7722, -115.7793
County
Imperial, CA
Nearby Plants
- SEPV Imperial Dixieland EastSolar2 MW · 2.3 km
- SEPV Imperial Dixieland WestSolar3 MW · 2.4 km
- Kingsley Solar FarmBESS299 MW · 5.3 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 West LLC | First Solar | — |
| Owner(s) | CD Global II CSOLAR, LLC, Tenaska CSOLAR West Holdings, LLC, Tenaska CSOLAR West, LLC | Tenaska Energy | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center West is a 150 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant built in Imperial County, California. Construction began in 2014 and full commercial operation was achieved in September 2016. Power is sold to San Diego Gas & Electric on a 25-year agreement.
Read more on WikipediaImperial Solar Energy Center West is a 148.7 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located in Imperial County, California. The plant, which began operating in 2016, utilizes single-axis tracking technology. It is owned by Tenaska Energy and operated by CSOLAR IV West LLC. The plant connects to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
In its most recent year of operation, Imperial Solar Energy Center West generated 373,638 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 28.6%. The plant ranks 35th out of 59 solar plants in California and 419th nationally out of 639 plants. Financial data indicates a power purchase agreement (PPA) price of $105.99 per MWh.
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
Interconnection Queue1 projectBeta
RANCHO WISTARIA SOLAR ENERGY CENTER
WithdrawnSolar150 MWCAISO
Generation
20.1K MWh
Latest Month
373.6K MWh
Annual Generation
28.6%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$55.5/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$106.0/MWh
PPA Price
$11.1/MWh
Energy Value
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
IVWEST_2_SOLAR1-APND
Pricing Hub
TH_SP15_GEN-APND
Location Type
Aggregated Node
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
News & Articles (10)Beta
Regulatory·federal policy
California could get more solar, geothermal power from Imperial Valley following lawsuit
An antitrust lawsuit from the Imperial Irrigation District could make it easier for clean energy projects to get built in the Imperial...
Imperial Irrigation District (other)
The Desert Sun·8 years ago
Deals·other
A public agency sold farmland for $6 million, then watched it get flipped for $14 million
The Imperial Irrigation District sold the land for solar development. The deal involved ZGlobal, a consultant with close ties to the public...
Imperial Irrigation District (seller)ZGlobal (other)
The Desert Sun·8 years ago
General
Solar and wind are booming — just not in the California desert
The good times keep rolling for solar and wind energy. The United States added more than 11 gigawatts of solar power last year, according to...
The Desert Sun·8 years ago
Industry·corporate
California is shattering solar records. This bill could take renewable energy to the next level.
A month ago, California broke its all-time solar record, with nearly 8,800 megawatts of solar power flooding the state's main electric grid...
The Desert Sun·9 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles