Los Esteros Critical Energy Center
Calpine, LLCSanta Clara County
Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility (LECEF) is a 306–320 MW natural-gas-fired combined-cycle power plant located at 800 Thomas Foon Chew Way in northern San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. The facility began as a 180 MW simple-cycle peaker in March 2003, owned and operated by Calpine Corporation. In 2004, the facility was transferred to Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility LLC. Phase 2 conversion to combined-cycle operation, certified in October 2006, added four heat-recovery steam generators, a nominal 140 MW steam turbine generator, and a six-cell cooling tower, bringing total capacity to approximately 309–320 MW. The upgraded facility commenced commercial operation in August 2013. LECEF now comprises five operating generators: four General Electric LM6000PC Sprint gas turbines and one steam turbine. The facility operates as an independent power producer under CAISO market oversight, serving Pacific Gas and Electric Company under a ten-year power purchase agreement and providing flexible, dispatchable natural-gas-fired generation capacity to support Silicon Valley's electricity demand. A separately metered, 200 MW lithium-ion battery-storage project (Tanager BESS) has been proposed as a co-located addition on the same parcel.
Mapped infrastructure geometry associated with this asset.
EIA plant 55748 · Inventory for Aug 2026.
| Generator | Technology | Status | Power (MW) | Energy (MWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAG5 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Operating | 126.1 | Unknown |
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Operating | 45 | Unknown |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Operating | 45 | Unknown |
| CTG3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Operating | 45 |
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Operating generator records and technology attributes reported through EIA-860.
| Generator | Capacity | Technology | Operation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAG5 | 126.1 MW 108 MW summer | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CA | Aug 2013 | Operating |
| CTG1 | 45 MW 49 MW summer | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CT | Feb 2003 | Operating |
| CTG2 | 45 MW 47 MW summer | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CT | Feb 2003 | Operating |
| CTG3 | 45 MW 49 MW summer | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CT | Feb 2003 | Operating |
| CTG4 |
Monthly EIA generation history and recent market-resource behavior where linked telemetry is available.
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Project milestones and public references behind the asset profile.
Calpine Corporation filed the original Application for Certification (AFC) for the Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility with the California Energy Commission.
| Unknown |
| CTG4 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Operating | 45 | Unknown |
|---|
Monthly generation is reported through EIA-923. Capacity factor uses the current EIA nameplate capacity and is shown only for complete calendar years.
Portfolio membership follows the latest EIA-860 reporting entity. It does not imply ultimate ownership.
EIA-860 lists generator CTG1, generator CTG2, generator CTG3, generator CTG4 with this operating date.
California Energy Commission approved ownership transfer of the Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility from Calpine c* Power to Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility, LLC.
California Energy Commission certified Phase 2, authorizing conversion of the existing 180 MW simple-cycle facility into a 320 MW combined-cycle plant through addition of four heat-recovery steam generators, a nominal 140 MW steam turbine generator, cooling equipment, and revised 230 kV transmission interconnection.
EIA-860 lists generator CAG5 with this operating date.
The upgraded Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility began commercial operation as a 320 MW combined-cycle plant capable of generating approximately 309 MW. The facility now includes the original four gas turbines, four heat-recovery steam generators, and a new 140 MW steam turbine generator, providing enhanced efficiency and operational flexibility.
Calpine submitted a petition to the California Energy Commission proposing installation of up to 6 MW of vanadium flow batteries with up to 18 MWh storage and/or 6 MW of lithium-ion batteries with up to 6 MWh storage. This was a proposed storage addition rather than retirement or fuel-conversion of the existing gas units.
California Energy Commission approved a Post-Certification Amendment (TN 234382) increasing water circulation rate through the cooling tower and amending air-quality conditions of certification to align with Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Title V Operating Permit.
Constellation Energy Corporation completed acquisition of Calpine Corporation from Energy Capital Partners (ECP) in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $22 billion, consisting of approximately 50 million newly issued Constellation shares and approximately $4.5 billion in cash. The acquisition includes Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility and Calpine's entire generation fleet of approximately 23 GW capacity.
Answered from the published record above. Questions whose inputs this profile does not carry are omitted rather than estimated.
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center reports 306.1 MW natural gas of operating nameplate capacity. These technology ratings do not establish a common export limit. Source: EIA Aug 2026.
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center is a Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle facility in Santa Clara County, CA, participating in the CAISO market.
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center is in Santa Clara County, CA, inside the CAISO balancing area.
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center is operated by Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility LLC according to the EIA generator inventory. Reporting membership does not by itself establish ultimate ownership.
Los Esteros Critical Energy Center reported 179.7 GWh over the twelve months to 2026-07. Figures are net generation as filed to EIA-923.
By capacity, Los Esteros Critical Energy Center ranks #363 of 540 operating plants of the same technology nationally. It ranks #28 of 64 in CA.
Plants within 25 km, nearest first, regardless of technology. Proximity is straight-line distance between mapped plant coordinates; it does not by itself establish a shared point of interconnection.