How big is Pio Pico Energy Center?

Pio Pico Energy Center has a reported capacity of 395.4 MW. Source: EIA Form 860.

What kind of plant is Pio Pico Energy Center?

Pio Pico Energy Center is a Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine facility in San Diego County, CA, participating in the CAISO market.

Where is Pio Pico Energy Center located?

Pio Pico Energy Center is in San Diego County, CA, inside the CAISO balancing area.

Who operates Pio Pico Energy Center?

Pio Pico Energy Center is operated by Pio Pico Energy Center LLC according to the EIA generator inventory. Reporting membership does not by itself establish ultimate ownership.

How much electricity does Pio Pico Energy Center generate?

Pio Pico Energy Center reported 65.9 GWh over the twelve months to 2024-12. Figures are net generation as filed to EIA-923.

Where does Pio Pico Energy Center connect to the grid?

Pio Pico Energy Center interconnects at Otay Mesa Switchyard, on the San Diego Gas and Electric system.

How does Pio Pico Energy Center compare to other plants?

By capacity, Pio Pico Energy Center ranks #123 of 825 operating plants of the same technology nationally. It ranks #7 of 136 in CA.

Ask the Grid

⌘K

Grids

Library

Explore

Roadmap

Preferences

Free account

Open the analytical workspace

Detailed market and asset intelligence, plus the tools to keep and share the work.

Settlement-point price analytics
Plant & battery operating detail
Full Radar & Deep agent mode
Saved views, history & exports

Enterprise

Read your own grid

Your assets, topology, and trades — one decision surface with the agent.

Connect your own data
Private Grid
Probabilistic model forecasts
Data downloads & exports

Talk to us

About · Legal · Privacy · Changelog

Natural Gas Fired Combustion TurbineCAISO · San Diego County

Pio Pico Energy Center

Onward Energy Holdings LLC · San Diego County · CAISO

Pio Pico Energy Center is a natural gas-fired power facility with 395.4 MW of EIA-reported nameplate capacity in San Diego County, California, registered as EIA Plant ID 57555. J. P. Pio Pico Energy Center LLC is the registered plant entity or operator. Institutional investors advised by J. P. Morgan Asset Management acquired the project from A fund managed by Ares EIF Group in 2016.

Website Open in grid

Open in ATG map

Asset analyst

plant:plant-57555

Ask about Pio Pico Energy Center

Investigate technology, capacity, output, price behavior, ownership, and related facilities using this profile plus current grid data.

Overview

Key fields

Reported capacity: 395.4 MW
EIA-reported nameplate capacity; other nameplate and seasonal ratings may differ.
Technology: Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
Primary generation technology.
Registry anchor: Plant 57555
Pio Pico Energy Center LLC · San Diego County · CAISO
Operating status: Operating
Pio Pico Energy Center is operating.
Grid connection: Otay Mesa Switchyard
230 kV · San Diego Gas and Electric

Profile

Grid role: Fast-start, quick-start peaking and load-following generation
Grid connection: Otay Mesa Switchyard · 230 kV · San Diego Gas and Electric.
Physical build: Operating natural-gas-fired simple-cycle facility on a 10-acre site, consisting of three GE LMS100 combustion turbine generators. The project is described by the CEC as 300 MW, while the air-district startup authorization identifies three installed LMS100 PA units, each rated at 106.4 MW, with evaporative inlet-air cooling, compressor intercooling, and shared partial dry cooling.

Structured profile

Reported capacity: 395.4 MW
Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
Operating status: operating
Pio Pico Energy Center is operating.
Interconnection: Otay Mesa Switchyard
230 kV · San Diego Gas and Electric
Location: San Diego County
CAISO
Operator

Units and generators

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

Generator	Capacity	Technology	Operation	Status
CTG1	131.8 MW 106 MW summer	Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine Natural Gas · GT	Nov 2016	Operating
CTG2	131.8 MW 106 MW summer	Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine Natural Gas · GT	Nov 2016	Operating
CTG3	131.8 MW 106 MW summer	Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine Natural Gas · GT	Nov 2016	Operating

Performance

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

Peer context

Technology capacity: 395.4 MW
National rank: #123
CA rank: #7

Monthly generation

Download CSV

Latest 12 months

65.9 GWh

Reported net generation

Latest report

Dec 2024

EIA-923 monthly filing

2024 capacity factor

1.9%

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

OTAY MESA

IN SERVICE · 230 kV

0.6 km

CALPEAK

Commercial, land, and environmental record

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

Transactions and agreements

Amended Offtake Agreement Approval

Feb 5, 2014

CPUC authorized amended PPTA with 25-year term starting June 2017. Monthly capacity payments based on 300 MW contract capacity. September 1, 2015 commercial operation date with interim resource-adequacy arrangement.

300 MW contracted25 yearsSan Diego Gas & Electric Company · Pio Pico Energy Center, LLC

Source

Acquisition Agreement

Dec 2016

Ares Management announced one of its funds agreed to sell Pio Pico Energy Center to institutional investors advised by J. P. Morgan Asset Management. Terms and consideration not disclosed; source describes agreement to sell rather than completed closing.

Ares Management, L.P. · J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Ares EIF Group to sell Pio Pico Energy Center - PE Hub

EPC Agreement

Feb 8, 2013

Project presentation stated Pio Pico executed EPC agreement with Kiewit. No contract value or duration disclosed.

Pio Pico Energy Center, LLC · Kiewit Power Constructors

Pio Pico Energy Center

Equipment Supply Agreement

Feb 8, 2013

Project record stated Pio Pico executed equipment supply agreement with GE for three GE LMS100 turbine generators. No contract value or duration disclosed.

Pio Pico Energy Center, LLC · GE

Pio Pico Energy Center

Land and environmental record

Air Permit

Permit No. PSD Permit No. SD 11-01

EPA issued Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit for Pio Pico Energy Center, LLC covering construction and operation.

Source

Air Permit Identifier

Facility ID APCD2010-SITE-00471; Title V application APCD2017-APP-005036

San Diego County Air Pollution Control District identifies exact facility and Title V application using these identifiers.

Pio Pico Energy Center Title V App. Number

Air Permit Identifier

2024

Title V Permit APCD2024-TVP-00048; Permit-to-Operate IDs APCD2024-PTO-004834, APCD2024-PTO-004835, APCD2024-PTO-004836

2024 SDAPCD Title V permit document lists Title V permit and three turbine Permit-to-Operate identifiers.

Title V Operating Permit APCD2024-TVP-00048

Air Permit Milestone

Aug 25, 2015

Preconstruction determination APCD2014-APP-003627; initial application APCD2010-APP-001251; amendment APCD2018-APP-005536

Title V statement of basis: initial application APCD2010-APP-001251; Final Determination of Compliance issued August 25, 2015 under APCD2014-APP-003627; amendment APCD2018-APP-005536 for tuning-operation limits.

Pio Pico Energy Center Title V App. Number

Environmental Compliance

2024

Several emissions violations since startup, primarily NOx and CO exceedances; none ongoing in Title V statement of basis

SDAPCD statement of basis states facility received several violations since startup, primarily NOx and CO exceedances. None ongoing; 2022 and 2024 violations still being settled.

Pio Pico Energy Center Title V App. Number

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

Drag organizations to explore the network. Select a node to pin its details and available page link.

AssetOwner / operatorContractorOrganization

Timeline and sources

Project milestones and public references behind the asset profile.

Project timeline

Sep 12, 2012
Sep 12, 2012
CEC CertificationPio Pico En...
The California Energy Commission certified the 300-MW Pio Pico Energy Center project under docket 11-AFC-01.
Apr 16, 2015
Apr 16, 2015

Pio Pico Energy Center

Ask about Pio Pico Energy Center

Pio Pico Energy Center

Ask about Pio Pico Energy Center

Overview

Key fields

Profile

Structured profile

Units and generators

Performance

Peer context

Monthly generation

Grid and market context

Nearby substations

Commercial, land, and environmental record

Transactions and agreements

Land and environmental record

Related parties and identifiers

Relationship graph

Timeline and sources

Project timeline

Parties and identifiers

Reporting portfolio

Sources

Common questions about Pio Pico Energy Center

How big is Pio Pico Energy Center?

What kind of plant is Pio Pico Energy Center?

Where is Pio Pico Energy Center located?

Who operates Pio Pico Energy Center?

How much electricity does Pio Pico Energy Center generate?

Where does Pio Pico Energy Center connect to the grid?

How does Pio Pico Energy Center compare to other plants?

Co-located assets

Related assets

Carlsbad Energy Center

Walnut Creek Energy Park

Watson Cogeneration

Otay Mesa Generating Project

Palomar Energy

Long Beach Generation