# AES Huntington Beach Energy Project

CAISO Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle · https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/aes-huntington-beach-energy-project

AES Huntington Beach Energy Project is a natural gas-fired power facility with 699.2 MW of EIA-reported nameplate capacity in Orange County, California, registered as EIA Plant ID 62116. AES Huntington Beach Energy, LLC owns and operates the plant. The associated Southland financing was described as the largest non-recourse financing for a battery-based energy-storage project at the time.

## Key facts

- Technology: Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Power capacity: 699.2 MW
- Commercial operation: 2021
- Operating status: operating

## Grid and market context

- ISO/RTO: CAISO
- Balancing authority: CAISO (CISO)

## Source-backed facts

- Owner logo domain: aes.com — AES' FERC Entities: Wind & Energy Storage · confidence: medium
- Identifiers: [{"value":"62116","system":"EIA plant code"},{"value":"1A","system":"Generator/unit identifier"},{"value":"1B","system":"Generator/unit identifier"},{"value":"1S","system":"Generator/unit identifier"},{"value":"25351 (generator 1A; unit code CCT1)","system":"FERC MBR EIA record ID"},{"value":"25352 (generator 1B; unit code CCT1)","system":"FERC MBR EIA record ID"},{"value":"49123","system":"FERC EIA registry record ID"},{"value":"CAISO (CISO in FERC asset record)","system":"ISO/RTO"},{"value":"12-AFC-02","system":"CEC docket"},{"value":"12-AFC-02C","system":"CEC compliance docket"}] — MBR | Index · confidence: medium
- Identifiers: [{"value":"62116","system":"EIA plant code"},{"value":"1A","system":"Generator/unit identifier"},{"value":"1B","system":"Generator/unit identifier"},{"value":"1S","system":"Generator/unit identifier"},{"value":"25351 (generator 1A; unit code CCT1)","system":"FERC MBR EIA record ID"},{"value":"25352 (generator 1B; unit code CCT1)","system":"FERC MBR EIA record ID"},{"value":"49123","system":"FERC EIA registry record ID"},{"value":"CAISO (CISO in FERC asset record)","system":"ISO/RTO"},{"value":"12-AFC-02","system":"CEC docket"},{"value":"12-AFC-02C","system":"CEC compliance docket"}] — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Official project url: https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/combined-cycle/huntington-beach-energy-project — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high
- Description: EIA plant 62116, AES Huntington Beach Energy Project, is a natural-gas power plant in Orange County with 699.2 MW of reported capacity across three generating units. The California Energy Commission describes HBEP at 21730 Newland Street in Huntington Beach as an operating natural-gas-fired facility with a 640-MW combined-cycle, 2-on-1 block and two simple-cycle turbines. The combined-cycle generator began operation on June 25, 2020, and the project began commercial operation in 2021. — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Canonical name: AES Huntington Beach Energy Project — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high
- Identifiers.0: {"value":"62116","system":"EIA plant code"} — MBR | Index · confidence: high
- Identifiers.1: {"value":"1A","system":"Generator/unit identifier"} — MBR | Index · confidence: medium
- Identifiers.2: {"value":"1B","system":"Generator/unit identifier"} — MBR | Index · confidence: medium
- Identifiers.4: {"value":"25351 (generator 1A; unit code CCT1)","system":"FERC MBR EIA record ID"} — MBR | Index · confidence: high
- Identifiers.5: {"value":"25352 (generator 1B; unit code CCT1)","system":"FERC MBR EIA record ID"} — MBR | Index · confidence: high
- Identifiers.6: {"value":"49123","system":"FERC EIA registry record ID"} — EIA - MBR | Index - FERC · confidence: medium
- Identifiers.8: {"value":"12-AFC-02","system":"CEC docket"} — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high
- Parties.0: {"relationship":"Owner","name":"AES Huntington Beach Energy, LLC","official_url":"https://www.aes.com/ferc-registered-entities"} — AES' FERC Entities: Wind & Energy Storage · confidence: high
- Parties.1: {"relationship":"EIA-listed utility / registered entity","name":"AES Huntington Beach Energy, LLC","official_url":"https://www.aes.com/ferc-registered-entities"} — MBR | Index · confidence: high
- Parties.3: {"relationship":"EPC contractor","name":"Kiewit Corporation","official_url":"https://www.kiewit.com/projects/aes-southland-projects/"} — AES Southland Projects - Kiewit Corporation · confidence: high
- Parties.4: {"relationship":"Combined-cycle gas-turbine OEM","name":"General Electric (GE)","official_url":"https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power"} — Huntington Beach Energy Project - DOCKETED - CA.gov · confidence: high
- Interconnection: 230 kV Huntington Beach Switching Station / existing onsite Southern California Edison 230 kV switchyard — DOCKETED 12-AFC-02 · confidence: medium
- Unit configuration: One natural-gas 2-on-1 combined-cycle power block plus two natural-gas simple-cycle gas turbines; EIA reports three generating units. — DOCKETED · confidence: medium
- Unit configuration: One natural-gas 2-on-1 combined-cycle power block plus two natural-gas simple-cycle gas turbines; EIA reports three generating units. — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Commercial operation date: 2021 — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Product url: https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f — 7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05 | GE Vernova · confidence: high
- Kind: thermal — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high
- Manufacturer domain: gevernova.com — 7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05 | GE Vernova · confidence: high
- Description: The AES Huntington Beach Energy Project is a natural-gas-fired facility at 21730 Newland Street in Huntington Beach, Orange County. The CEC describes the licensed design as a nominal 844 MW project comprising a 644 MW combined-cycle block and two 100 MW simple-cycle turbines, although the simple-cycle phase was never built; EIA plant 62116 reports 699.2 MW across three generating units. AES Huntington Beach Energy, LLC owns the facility, which was developed within the footprint of the former AES Huntington Beach Generating Station. The combined-cycle generator began operation on June 25, 2020, and the CEC identifies 2021 as the project’s commercial-operation year. — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Quality notes: ["Capacity figures differ by source and measurement basis: EIA plant 62116 reports 699.2 MW across three units, while CEC materials use 840/844 MW for the licensed project and 640/644 MW for the combined-cycle portion.","The project’s milestone dates should be distinguished: regulatory material records first fire on October 4 and 6, 2019; the CEC reports combined-cycle operation beginning June 25, 2020 and project commercial operation in 2021, while another compliance record describes a January 2020 transition from commissioning to operation.","The $781 million 1998 transaction was AES’s purchase of three generating stations from Southern California Edison, not a plant-specific sale price for the later HBEP. The exact closing month is not stated consistently; a city record is dated April 27, 1998 and contemporaneous reporting said the purchase had been completed by May 17, 1998.","Legacy Huntington Beach Generating Station units and their transfers or retirements are predecessor-asset history and should not be counted as additional HBEP units in EIA plant 62116."] — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high
- Quality notes: ["Capacity figures differ by source and measurement basis: EIA plant 62116 reports 699.2 MW across three units, while CEC materials use 840/844 MW for the licensed project and 640/644 MW for the combined-cycle portion.","The project’s milestone dates should be distinguished: regulatory material records first fire on October 4 and 6, 2019; the CEC reports combined-cycle operation beginning June 25, 2020 and project commercial operation in 2021, while another compliance record describes a January 2020 transition from commissioning to operation.","The $781 million 1998 transaction was AES’s purchase of three generating stations from Southern California Edison, not a plant-specific sale price for the later HBEP. The exact closing month is not stated consistently; a city record is dated April 27, 1998 and contemporaneous reporting said the purchase had been completed by May 17, 1998.","Legacy Huntington Beach Generating Station units and their transfers or retirements are predecessor-asset history and should not be counted as additional HBEP units in EIA plant 62116."] — Source · confidence: high
- Timeline.3: {"event":"CEC certification and configuration amendment","date":"2017-04-12","detail":"The CEC certified HBEP. The approved configuration was amended to one 2-on-1, approximately 640/644 MW combined-cycle block and two simple-cycle turbines totaling approximately 200 MW, replacing the originally permitted two-block, 939 MW design."} — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Timeline.5: {"event":"HBEP construction began","date":"2017-08-01","detail":"Construction on the repower project began on August 1, 2017."} — Source · confidence: medium
- Timeline.6: {"event":"Combined-cycle turbine first fire","date":"2019-10-04","detail":"First fire, marking the start of commissioning, occurred on October 4, 2019 for one combined-cycle unit and on October 6, 2019 for the second unit."} — Source · confidence: high
- Timeline.7: {"event":"Combined-cycle generator began operation","date":"2020-06-25","detail":"The CEC identifies June 25, 2020 as the start of operation for the approximately 644 MW combined-cycle generator."} — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: medium
- Timeline.8: {"event":"HBEP commercial operation","date":"2021","detail":"The CEC identifies 2021 as the project’s commercial-operation year."} — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high
- Timeline.9: {"event":"Planned simple-cycle expansion cancelled","date":"2021-09-21","detail":"The two planned simple-cycle turbines were never constructed. AES notified South Coast AQMD on September 21, 2021 that the project phase was cancelled and relinquished the associated permits."} — Source · confidence: high
- Timeline.9: {"event":"Planned simple-cycle expansion cancelled","date":"2021-09-21","detail":"The two planned simple-cycle turbines were never constructed. AES notified South Coast AQMD on September 21, 2021 that the project phase was cancelled and relinquished the associated permits."} — Source · confidence: high
- Timeline.10: {"event":"Predecessor HBGS Unit 1 retired","date":"2023-01","detail":"CEC compliance material records predecessor Huntington Beach Generating Station Unit 1 as retired by January 2023; this legacy boiler is separate from the EIA 62116 HBEP units."} — Source · confidence: medium
- Commercial parties.4: {"relationship":"EPC contractor","name":"Kiewit Corporation","detail":"Kiewit was awarded EPC contracts to rebuild and modernize the Huntington Beach and Alamitos natural-gas power plants; project records identify Kiewit as the HBEP EPC contractor.","official_url":"https://www.kiewit.com/"} — AES Southland Projects - Kiewit Corporation · confidence: high
- Commercial parties.5: {"relationship":"Combined-cycle turbine OEM / planned simple-cycle OEM","name":"GE / GE Vernova","detail":"The permitted design specified two GE 7FA.05 combined-cycle gas turbines and two GE LMS100PB simple-cycle turbines. The simple-cycle turbines were never constructed.","official_url":"https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines"} — Source · confidence: medium
- Acquisition date: 2016-06-17 — DOCKETED · confidence: medium
- Transaction scope: exact_asset — DOCKETED · confidence: medium
- Status detail: The exact EIA plant is operating: the current EIA 860M-derived record lists 3 operational generators totaling 699.2 MW. A 2023 CEC amendment record described the combined-cycle block as operating while the proposed simple-cycle Phase 2 had not commenced construction; the historical retirement dates cited for HBGS Units 1–4 apply to the predecessor Huntington Beach Generating Station, not to HBEP. — Source · confidence: medium
- Operating status: operating — Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission · confidence: high

## Timeline

- 2020-06-25 — Combined-cycle generator began operation
  The CEC identifies June 25, 2020 as the start of operation for the approximately 644 MW combined-cycle generator.
  Source: Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/combined-cycle/huntington-beach-energy-project)
- 2021 — HBEP commercial operation
  The CEC identifies 2021 as the project’s commercial-operation year.
  Source: Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/combined-cycle/huntington-beach-energy-project)
- 2021-09-21 — Planned simple-cycle expansion cancelled
  The two planned simple-cycle turbines were never constructed. AES notified South Coast AQMD on September 21, 2021 that the project phase was cancelled and relinquished the associated permits.
  Source: Source (https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=249543)

## Sources

- [AES' FERC Entities: Wind & Energy Storage](https://www.aes.com/ferc-registered-entities) — aes.com · tier other
- [MBR | Index](https://mbrweb.ferc.gov/SearchlkpEIA/Index?page=508) — mbrweb.ferc.gov · tier regulatory
- [Huntington Beach Energy Project | California Energy Commission](https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/combined-cycle/huntington-beach-energy-project) — energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [AES Southland Projects - Kiewit Corporation](https://www.kiewit.com/projects/aes-southland-projects/) — kiewit.com · tier other
- [Huntington Beach Energy Project - DOCKETED - CA.gov](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=206379&DocumentContentId=5474) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [EIA - MBR | Index - FERC](https://mbrweb.ferc.gov/SearchlkpEIA/Index?page=688) — mbrweb.ferc.gov · tier regulatory
- [DOCKETED](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=211139) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [DOCKETED 12-AFC-02](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=68551&DocumentContentId=46765) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=249543) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05 | GE Vernova](https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f) — gevernova.com · tier other
- [Source](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/874761/000087476117000066/q32017form10-q.htm) — sec.gov · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=214464&DocumentContentId=5689) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/5594?fid=5594) — energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://www.enr.com/articles/50260-huntington-beach-energy-project-safety) — enr.com · tier other
- [DOCKETED](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=210984&DocumentContentId=5552) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [DOCKETED](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=211856&DocumentContentId=5597) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory
- [Resource category and phase](https://www.caiso.com/documents/resourcecategoryandphaseallparticipatingresourceids.xlsx) — caiso.com · tier other
- [Source](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=206464&DocumentContentId=5476) — efiling.energy.ca.gov · tier regulatory

## Data quality

- Capacity figures differ by source and measurement basis: EIA plant 62116 reports 699.2 MW across three units, while CEC materials use 840/844 MW for the licensed project and 640/644 MW for the combined-cycle portion. The $781 million 1998 transaction was AES’s purchase of three generating stations from Southern California Edison, not a plant-specific sale price for the later HBEP. The exact closing month is not stated consistently; a city record is dated April 27, 1998 and contemporaneous reporting said the purchase had been completed by May 17, 1998. Legacy Huntington Beach Generating Station units and their transfers or retirements are predecessor-asset history and should not be counted as additional HBEP units in EIA plant 62116.

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