Macho Springs — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 59010
- Capacity
- 55 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Luna, NM
- Operating Since
- 2014
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Southern Power Co
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 122,680 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 25.4%
- Balancing Authority
- El Paso Electric Company
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Macho Springs
OperatingSolar
Ranked #19 of 97 Solar plants in NM#1274 of 7447 nationally
55 MW Solar operating in Luna, NM — El Paso Electric Company
EIAGEMWD
55 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2014
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
32.5715, -107.4636
County
Luna, NM
Nearby Plants
- Alta LunaSolar28.1 MW · 2.2 km
- Macho Springs Power IWind50.4 MW · 4.6 km
- Hatch Solar Energy Center I, LLCSolar5 MW · 20.2 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Southern Power Co | Southern Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Macho Springs Solar, LLC | Turner Renewable Energy; Southern Power Co | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as Turner Renewable Energy; Southern Power Co
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Macho Springs is a 55 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located in Luna County, New Mexico. The plant began operating in 2014 and has one generator. It is owned and operated by Southern Power Company. The facility utilizes single-axis tracking to maximize solar energy capture. Macho Springs is ranked as the 9th largest solar plant in New Mexico out of 84, and 1090th nationally out of 7108 plants.
In its most recent year of operation, Macho Springs generated 122,680 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 25.4%. The plant operates within the El Paso Electric Company balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Financial data indicates a power purchase agreement (PPA) price of $62.79 per MWh.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
El Paso Electric Company
Grid Voltage
345 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
Interconnection Queue1 projectBeta
Macho Springs Solar PV
OperationalSolar50 MWWest
Generation
7.1K MWh
Latest Month
122.7K MWh
Annual Generation
25.4%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$66.0/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$62.8/MWh
PPA Price
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (10)Beta
Industry·technology
Solar Energy Is Good for the Planet, But It Could Be Bad for Birds
Small but growing research indicates that solar farms are harmful to some birdlife, but the extent of the risk is poorly studied.
The Energy Mix·7 months ago
Regulatory·state puc
EPE’s Markets+ Decision ‘Not Transparent,’ NM Regulators Say
A workshop aimed to restore trust between New Mexico regulators and El Paso Electric after the utility's surprise Markets+ announcement.
El Paso Electric (operator)New Mexico (regulator)
RTO Insider·1 years ago
Grid·capacity addition
Completion of New Mexico's largest solar plant adds to EP Electric's growing solar portfolio
The largest solar plant in New Mexico and in El Paso Electric's system will soon begin producing enough electricity to power about 60,000...
El Paso Electric (operator)
El Paso Times·2 years ago
General
El Paso Electric celebrates coal-free status
El Paso Electric's exit from New Mexico coal power plant cleans up utility's energy portfolio.
El Paso Times·9 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles