Apache Solar I — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 60964
- Capacity
- 40 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Battery Storage
- Technology
- Batteries, Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Cochise, AZ
- Operating Since
- 2017
- Generators
- 3
- Operator
- Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 55,502 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 15.8%
- Balancing Authority
- Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Apache Solar I
OperatingBESSSolarHybrid
Ranked #46 of 55 BESS plants in AZ#421 of 837 nationally
40 MW Batteries (20 MW) + Solar Photovoltaic (20 MW) operating in Cochise, AZ — Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region
EIAGEMWD
40 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Batteries + Solar Photovoltaic
2017
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
32.0681, -109.8904
County
Cochise, AZ
Nearby Plants
- Apache StationNatural Gas826.3 MW · 0.9 km
- Sulphur SpringsSolar20 MW · 2.9 km
- Roadrunner Solar and BESSBESS470 MW · 4.7 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc | Arizona Electric Power Cooperative | — |
| Owner(s) | Sierra Southwest Cooperative | Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services INC (SIERRA) [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services INC (SIERRA) [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Apache Solar I is a 40 MW hybrid power plant located in Cochise County, Arizona. The plant, which began operating in 2017, is owned and operated by Arizona Electric Power Cooperative Inc. It utilizes both solar photovoltaic technology with single-axis tracking and battery energy storage. The facility has three generators and is fueled by electricity (MWH). The battery energy storage system (BESS) has a capacity of 40 MWh, providing a duration of 4 hours and employing lithium-ion battery (LIB) chemistry.
The plant's latest annual generation was 55,502 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 15.8%. Apache Solar I operates within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region and is under the balancing authority of the Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region. Financial data is available for the plant from LBNL, though specific metrics are not provided. Apache Solar I is ranked 57th out of 68 power plants in Arizona and 626th out of 1205 nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region
Grid Voltage
69 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Cooperative
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
3.2K MWh
Net Discharge
55.5K MWh
Annual Net Energy
15.8%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Positive values indicate net discharge (generation exceeds station load). Negative values indicate net charging. Pure battery storage plants are typically net negative due to round-trip efficiency losses.
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$34.4/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$12.3/MWh
Energy Value
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
AC BOS approves Juniper Spring Solar permit; coal plant claims draw scrutiny
The Apache County Board of Supervisors approved a Conditional Use Permit on Dec. 2, allowing Juniper Spring Solar, LLC to move forward with...
Juniper Spring Solar, LLC (developer)
White Mountain Independent·3 months ago
Regulatory·permitting
State committee approves power line for Repsol's Lava Run project amid strong opposition
Despite overwhelming public opposition, the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee voted 8-2 to approve a Certificate of...
Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee (regulator)Repsol (developer)
White Mountain Independent·4 months ago
Industry·corporate
Arizona Co-op Leader to Congress: Coal Is Crucial Part of the Energy Mix
a wide variety of energy sources—including coal—are crucial to keeping the lights on, an Arizona electric cooperative leader told a House panel...
Arizona electric cooperative (other)
America's Electric Cooperatives·9 months ago
General
Public calls for caution as Apache County weighs large-scale solar development
Apache County's Planning and Zoning Commission met June 12 to review a proposed large-scale solar energy project and hear updates on various...
White Mountain Independent·9 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles