40 MW Batteries (20 MW) + Solar Photovoltaic (20 MW) operating in Cochise, AZ — Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region
40 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Batteries + Solar Photovoltaic
2017
Operating Since
Coordinates
32.0681, -109.8904
County
Cochise, AZ
Nearby Plants
| 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 | — |
GEM identifies the owner as Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services INC (SIERRA) [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
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
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
3.2K MWh
Net Discharge
55.5K MWh
Annual Net Energy
15.8%
Capacity Factor
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.
$34.4/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$12.3/MWh
Energy Value
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
Last updated 2026-03-14
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