How big is Palomar Energy?

Palomar Energy has a reported capacity of 559 MW. Source: EIA Form 860.

What kind of plant is Palomar Energy?

Palomar Energy is a Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle facility in San Diego County, CA, participating in the CAISO market.

Where is Palomar Energy located?

Palomar Energy is in San Diego County, CA, inside the CAISO balancing area.

Who operates Palomar Energy?

Palomar Energy is operated by San Diego Gas & Electric Co according to the EIA generator inventory. Reporting membership does not by itself establish ultimate ownership.

How much electricity does Palomar Energy generate?

Palomar Energy reported 1,176 GWh over the twelve months to 2026-06. Figures are net generation as filed to EIA-923.

Where does Palomar Energy connect to the grid?

Palomar Energy interconnects at Palomar Energy, on the San Diego Gas & Electric system.

How does Palomar Energy compare to other plants?

By capacity, Palomar Energy ranks #278 of 538 operating plants of the same technology nationally. It ranks #21 of 64 in CA.

Palomar Energy — 559 MW gas plant, San Diego County, CA

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Palomar Energy — 559 MW gas plant, San Diego County, CA · Ask the Grid

Overview

Reported capacity: 559 MW
EIA-reported nameplate capacity; other nameplate and seasonal ratings may differ.
Technology: Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
Primary generation technology.
Registry anchor: Plant 55985
San Diego Gas & Electric Co · San Diego County · CAISO
Operating status: Operating
Palomar Energy is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for 2026.
Grid connection: Palomar Energy
230 kV · San Diego Gas & Electric
Commercial operation: April 1, 2006
Best-supported operating milestone.

Profile

Operating status: Palomar Energy is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for 2026.
Grid role: Firm, dispatchable combined-cycle generation resource supporting electric-system reliability.
Grid connection: Palomar Energy · 230 kV · San Diego Gas & Electric.
Physical build: Palomar Energy is a natural-gas combined-cycle plant comprising two GE combustion turbine-generators, two multi-pressure HRSGs with duct burners, two HRSG exhaust stacks, one reheat condensing steam turbine-generator, SCR and oxidation-catalyst emissions controls, inlet-air cooling, a wet cooling tower, associated transformers and auxiliary systems, and a 230-kV switchyard. Later modifications replaced the evaporative inlet coolers with three refrigeration inlet-air chillers and added a thermal-energy-storage tank.

Structured profile

Reported capacity: 559 MW
Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
Commercial operation: April 1, 2006
Operating status: operating
Palomar Energy is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for 2026.
Retirement: 2026
Palomar Energy is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for 2026.
Interconnection: Palomar Energy

Related assets

Similar plants ranked by technology, capacity, and distance.

Otay Mesa Generating Project

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San Diego County

Same typeComparable scale39 mi away

Compare with this plant

El Segundo Energy Center LLC

Natural Gas · 537.4 MW

Los Angeles County

Same typeComparable scale93 mi away

Units and generators

Operating generator records and technology attributes reported through EIA-860.

Generator	Capacity	Technology	Operation	Status
CTG1	165 MW 179.6 MW summer	Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CT	Oct 2005	Operating
CTG2	165 MW 179.8 MW summer	Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CT	Nov 2005	Operating
STG	229 MW 222 MW summer	Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle Natural Gas · CA	Jan 2006	Operating

Performance

Monthly EIA generation history and recent market-resource behavior where linked telemetry is available.

Peer context

Technology capacity: 559 MW; Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
National rank: #278; of 538 operating peers
CA rank: #21; of 64 operating peers

Monthly generation

Download CSV

Latest 12 months

1.18 TWh

Reported net generation

Latest report

Jun 2026

EIA-923 monthly filing

2025 capacity factor

30.0%

Using current reported nameplate capacity

Grid and market context

Deterministic links to ERCOT market resources, price records, outage disclosures, queue records, and nearby infrastructure. Candidate joins remain labeled until corroborated.

Nearby substations

HIFLD infrastructure inventory

CALPEAK PE 7

NOT AVAILABLE · 230 kV

0.1 km

ESCONDIDO

Commercial, land, and environmental record

Source-backed project transactions, agreements, land records, permits, and environmental disclosures. Portfolio and adjacent-project facts remain explicitly scoped.

Financing

Public Funding

Date not disclosed

Nanogrid and hydrogen export panel at Palomar Energy Center funded through Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) by California utility customers under California Public Utilities Commission auspices. Cited record does not disclose funding amount or date; stated as not included in application cost.

California utility customers · California Public Utilities Commission

Source

Transactions and agreements

Acquisition Agreement

Jan 2004

SDG&E entered into Turnkey Acquisition Agreement with Palomar Energy, LLC (subsidiary of Sempra Energy Resources) to acquire and operate Palomar Energy Center as utility-owned generation asset. Acquisition completed June 1, 2006. CPUC cited record does not disclose purchase consideration.

San Diego Gas & Electric Company · Palomar Energy, LLC

D0508005 Aproving Application

Land and environmental record

Regulatory Authority

Aug 6, 2003

California Energy Commission

Project was certified by CEC on August 6, 2003 under Docket 01-AFC-24 and began commercial operation April 1, 2006. CEC certificate supersedes any permit, certificate, or similar document otherwise required by any state, local, regional, or federal agency to extent permitted by federal law.

Palomar Energy Project | California Energy Commission

Related parties and identifiers

Parties, market resources, and identifiers tied to this asset, with owner, operator, developer, EPC, compliance provider, and interconnecting entity roles kept separate.

Relationship graph

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AssetOwner / operatorContractorOrganizationFinancier

Timeline and sources

Project milestones and public references behind the asset profile.

Project timeline

Nov 28, 2001
Nov 28, 2001
Application for certification filedSource
Palomar Energy, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sempra Energy Resources, filed the Application for Certification for the Palomar Energy Project.
Aug 6, 2003
Aug 6, 2003
CEC Certification

Reporting portfolio

EIA reporting entity

San Diego Gas & Electric Co

Entity 16609

Operating portfolio

17 plants

1 states

Reported capacity

902.8 MW

Batteries · Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle · Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine

Largest reported plants in this portfolio
Largest reported plants	Capacity	State
Palomar EnergyCurrent	559 MW	CA
Miramar Energy Facility	106 MW	CA
Cuyamaca Peak Energy Plant	48.7 MW	CA
Fallbrook Energy Storage	40 MW	CA
Top Gun Energy Storage	30 MW	CA
Melrose BESS	20 MW	CA
Elliott Energy Storage	10 MW	CA
Boulevard Energy Storage	10 MW	CA

Portfolio membership follows the latest EIA-860 reporting entity. It does not imply ultimate ownership.

View full reporting portfolio

Palomar Energy