# Rio Nogales Power Project ERCOT Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle · https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/rio-nogales-power-project Rio Nogales Power Project is a natural gas-fired power facility with 1,108 MW of EIA-reported nameplate capacity in Guadalupe County, Texas, registered as EIA Plant ID 55137. City of San Antonio - (TX) is the registered plant entity or operator. ERCOT identifies four associated thermal resources: three combustion-turbine resources and one steam-turbine resource. ## Key facts - Technology: Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle - Power capacity: 1108 MW - Operating status: operating - Retirement: Approximately 2034-2037 for the affected combustion-turbine units; no exact cessation date is stated ## Grid and market context - ISO/RTO: ERCOT - Balancing authority: ERCOT (EIA balancing authority: ERCO) - Substation: Rio Nogales Switchyard - Point of interconnection: Rio Nogales Switchyard - Transmission owner: Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) - Interconnection voltage: 345 kV ## Source-backed facts - Owner logo domain: cpsenergy.com — CPS Energy Acquires Rio Nogales Plant | Tenaska Capital · confidence: medium - Owner logo domain: cpsenergy.com — ~ > X E T ~ · confidence: medium - Official project url: https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/about-us/who-we-are.html — Our History · confidence: medium - Owner name: CPS Energy — ~ > X E T ~ · confidence: high - Owner name: CPS Energy — Our History · confidence: high - Description: Rio Nogales Power Project is an operating natural-gas combined-cycle plant in Guadalupe County near Seguin, Texas. EIA plant 55137 reports four operational generating units with 1,108 MW of total nameplate capacity, with the first unit online in 2002. CPS Energy currently owns and operates the plant, which participates in the ERCOT market. — ~ > X E T ~ · confidence: medium - Identifiers.3: {"value":"RIONOG","system":"ERCOT resource group"} — Source · confidence: medium - Identifiers.4: {"value":"RIONOG_CT1","system":"ERCOT market resource"} — Source · confidence: high - Identifiers.5: {"value":"RIONOG_CT2","system":"ERCOT market resource"} — Source · confidence: high - Identifiers.6: {"value":"RIONOG_CT3","system":"ERCOT market resource"} — Source · confidence: high - Identifiers.7: {"value":"RIONOG_ST1","system":"ERCOT market resource"} — Source · confidence: high - Identifiers.11: {"value":"53385","system":"PUCT project number"} — ~ > X E T ~ · confidence: medium - Parties.0: {"relationship":"Current owner and operator","name":"CPS Energy","official_url":"https://www.cpsenergy.com/"} — ~ > X E T ~ · confidence: high - Parties.4: {"relationship":"Original developer/opening owner","name":"Constellation Energy Group","official_url":"https://www.constellationenergy.com/"} — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News · confidence: medium - Parties.6: {"relationship":"Former parent company whose generation assets were acquired by CPS Energy","name":"TPF Generation Holdings, LLC","official_url":null} — ~ > X E T ~ · confidence: medium - Unit count: 4 — Source · confidence: high - 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 - Product url: https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f — Power plant profile: Rio Nogales Combined Cycle Power Plant, US · confidence: high - Manufacturer domain: gevernova.com — 7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05 | GE Vernova · confidence: medium - Product family: 7F.04 gas turbines; D11 steam turbine — 7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05 | GE Vernova · confidence: medium - Significance: EIA plant 55137 lists Rio Nogales at 1,108 MW of nameplate capacity, ranking it #181 among U.S. plants and #25 in Texas by capacity. ERCOT identifies four associated thermal resources: three combustion-turbine resources and one steam-turbine resource. — Source · confidence: medium - Description: Rio Nogales Power Project is an operating natural-gas combined-cycle facility in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas, with four operational units and 1,108 MW of total nameplate capacity. CPS Energy owns and operates the plant, while the City Public Service Board of San Antonio is its ERCOT resource entity. Constellation Energy Group developed and officially opened the original $200 million, 800 MW facility in November 2002 after operations began in June. CPS Energy announced its purchase in March 2012 and completed the ownership transfer from Tenaska-related ownership effective April 10, 2012. — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: medium - Quality notes: ["Current EIA reporting lists 1,108 MW, while historical construction and regulatory sources describe the original facility as 800 MW; the difference is not treated as a documented expansion.","The reported $171 million figure is an appraisal, not identified purchase consideration. The $521 million taxable-bond issue funded both the acquisition and initial capital expenditures.","No completed expansion or retirement is established here. Rotor-replacement projects appear in interconnection-queue records with proposed completion dates, and CPS's 2021 planning table listed a technical life through 2047."] — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: medium - Financing summary: Constellation's original project cost was reported as $200 million in 2002. In March 2012, CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the Rio Nogales acquisition and initial capital expenditures. A contemporaneous report placed the plant's appraisal at $171 million, but did not identify that amount as the purchase price. CPS Energy's financial statements separately report a $25.5 million tax-exemption settlement associated with the plant purchase. — CPS acquires Rio Nogales Gas Plant - Wilson County News · confidence: medium - Financing summary: Constellation's original project cost was reported as $200 million in 2002. In March 2012, CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the Rio Nogales acquisition and initial capital expenditures. A contemporaneous report placed the plant's appraisal at $171 million, but did not identify that amount as the purchase price. CPS Energy's financial statements separately report a $25.5 million tax-exemption settlement associated with the plant purchase. — CPS finishes Rio Nogales acquisition | News · confidence: medium - Financing summary: Constellation's original project cost was reported as $200 million in 2002. In March 2012, CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the Rio Nogales acquisition and initial capital expenditures. A contemporaneous report placed the plant's appraisal at $171 million, but did not identify that amount as the purchase price. CPS Energy's financial statements separately report a $25.5 million tax-exemption settlement associated with the plant purchase. — Source · confidence: medium - Financing summary: Constellation's original project cost was reported as $200 million in 2002. In March 2012, CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the Rio Nogales acquisition and initial capital expenditures. A contemporaneous report placed the plant's appraisal at $171 million, but did not identify that amount as the purchase price. CPS Energy's financial statements separately report a $25.5 million tax-exemption settlement associated with the plant purchase. — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: medium - Timeline: [{"event":"Groundbreaking and construction","date":"2000","detail":"The plant was reported as opening two years after groundbreaking, implying construction began around 2000."},{"event":"First generating unit online","date":"2002-05-01","detail":"EIA records identify May 1, 2002 as the first unit's online date."},{"event":"Commercial operation began","date":"2002-06","detail":"Contemporaneous coverage reported that the power plant started operations in June 2002."},{"event":"Official opening","date":"2002-11-09","detail":"Constellation Energy Group officially opened the $200 million Rio Nogales Power Project in Seguin as an 800 MW natural-gas-fired facility."},{"event":"Purchase agreement announced","date":"2012-03-12","detail":"CPS Energy announced an agreement to purchase the existing plant from a Tenaska Capital Management affiliate."},{"event":"Acquisition financing","date":"2012-03","detail":"CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the acquisition and initial capital expenditures."},{"event":"Ownership transfer and acquisition closing","date":"2012-04-10","detail":"The transfer of the facility to CPS Energy became effective April 10, 2012. CPS later described the acquisition as including TPF Generation Holdings assets that included assets held by Rio Nogales Power Project, LP."},{"event":"Rotor-replacement development","date":"2023-07","detail":"A 3.1 MW CPS Energy CT301 rotor-replacement project entered the ERCOT interconnection queue in July 2023; the record identifies a proposed, not confirmed, commercial operation date."},{"event":"Planned CT201 rotor replacement","date":"2026-06-05","detail":"A separate 3.1 MW CT201 rotor-replacement project was listed as active with a proposed completion date of June 5, 2026; the cited record does not establish that the work was completed."},{"event":"Retirement planning horizon","date":"2021","detail":"CPS Energy's resource plan listed Rio Nogales with a 2002 in-service year and a technical life extending through 2047, with no retirement date shown."}] — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: medium - Timeline: [{"event":"Groundbreaking and construction","date":"2000","detail":"The plant was reported as opening two years after groundbreaking, implying construction began around 2000."},{"event":"First generating unit online","date":"2002-05-01","detail":"EIA records identify May 1, 2002 as the first unit's online date."},{"event":"Commercial operation began","date":"2002-06","detail":"Contemporaneous coverage reported that the power plant started operations in June 2002."},{"event":"Official opening","date":"2002-11-09","detail":"Constellation Energy Group officially opened the $200 million Rio Nogales Power Project in Seguin as an 800 MW natural-gas-fired facility."},{"event":"Purchase agreement announced","date":"2012-03-12","detail":"CPS Energy announced an agreement to purchase the existing plant from a Tenaska Capital Management affiliate."},{"event":"Acquisition financing","date":"2012-03","detail":"CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the acquisition and initial capital expenditures."},{"event":"Ownership transfer and acquisition closing","date":"2012-04-10","detail":"The transfer of the facility to CPS Energy became effective April 10, 2012. CPS later described the acquisition as including TPF Generation Holdings assets that included assets held by Rio Nogales Power Project, LP."},{"event":"Rotor-replacement development","date":"2023-07","detail":"A 3.1 MW CPS Energy CT301 rotor-replacement project entered the ERCOT interconnection queue in July 2023; the record identifies a proposed, not confirmed, commercial operation date."},{"event":"Planned CT201 rotor replacement","date":"2026-06-05","detail":"A separate 3.1 MW CT201 rotor-replacement project was listed as active with a proposed completion date of June 5, 2026; the cited record does not establish that the work was completed."},{"event":"Retirement planning horizon","date":"2021","detail":"CPS Energy's resource plan listed Rio Nogales with a 2002 in-service year and a technical life extending through 2047, with no retirement date shown."}] — CPS acquires Rio Nogales Gas Plant · confidence: medium - Timeline: [{"event":"Groundbreaking and construction","date":"2000","detail":"The plant was reported as opening two years after groundbreaking, implying construction began around 2000."},{"event":"First generating unit online","date":"2002-05-01","detail":"EIA records identify May 1, 2002 as the first unit's online date."},{"event":"Commercial operation began","date":"2002-06","detail":"Contemporaneous coverage reported that the power plant started operations in June 2002."},{"event":"Official opening","date":"2002-11-09","detail":"Constellation Energy Group officially opened the $200 million Rio Nogales Power Project in Seguin as an 800 MW natural-gas-fired facility."},{"event":"Purchase agreement announced","date":"2012-03-12","detail":"CPS Energy announced an agreement to purchase the existing plant from a Tenaska Capital Management affiliate."},{"event":"Acquisition financing","date":"2012-03","detail":"CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the acquisition and initial capital expenditures."},{"event":"Ownership transfer and acquisition closing","date":"2012-04-10","detail":"The transfer of the facility to CPS Energy became effective April 10, 2012. CPS later described the acquisition as including TPF Generation Holdings assets that included assets held by Rio Nogales Power Project, LP."},{"event":"Rotor-replacement development","date":"2023-07","detail":"A 3.1 MW CPS Energy CT301 rotor-replacement project entered the ERCOT interconnection queue in July 2023; the record identifies a proposed, not confirmed, commercial operation date."},{"event":"Planned CT201 rotor replacement","date":"2026-06-05","detail":"A separate 3.1 MW CT201 rotor-replacement project was listed as active with a proposed completion date of June 5, 2026; the cited record does not establish that the work was completed."},{"event":"Retirement planning horizon","date":"2021","detail":"CPS Energy's resource plan listed Rio Nogales with a 2002 in-service year and a technical life extending through 2047, with no retirement date shown."}] — OUR JANUARY 2021 FLEXIBLE PATH RESOURCE PLAN PUBLIC INFORMATION · confidence: medium - Timeline.0: {"event":"Groundbreaking and construction","date":"2000","detail":"The plant was reported as opening two years after groundbreaking, implying construction began around 2000."} — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: medium - Timeline.2: {"event":"Commercial operation began","date":"2002-06","detail":"Contemporaneous coverage reported that the power plant started operations in June 2002."} — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: high - Timeline.3: {"event":"Official opening","date":"2002-11-09","detail":"Constellation Energy Group officially opened the $200 million Rio Nogales Power Project in Seguin as an 800 MW natural-gas-fired facility."} — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: high - Timeline.4: {"event":"Purchase agreement announced","date":"2012-03-12","detail":"CPS Energy announced an agreement to purchase the existing plant from a Tenaska Capital Management affiliate."} — CPS Energy Acquires Rio Nogales Plant | Tenaska Capital · confidence: high - Timeline.5: {"event":"Acquisition financing","date":"2012-03","detail":"CPS Energy sold $521 million of taxable bonds to fund the acquisition and initial capital expenditures."} — CPS acquires Rio Nogales Gas Plant · confidence: medium - Timeline.8: {"event":"Planned CT201 rotor replacement","date":"2026-06-05","detail":"A separate 3.1 MW CT201 rotor-replacement project was listed as active with a proposed completion date of June 5, 2026; the cited record does not establish that the work was completed."} — OUR JANUARY 2021 FLEXIBLE PATH RESOURCE PLAN PUBLIC INFORMATION · confidence: medium - Commercial parties.5: {"relationship":"Original developer and opening owner","name":"Constellation Energy Group","detail":"Constellation Energy Group developed and officially opened the original Rio Nogales facility in November 2002.","official_url":"https://www.constellationenergy.com/"} — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: high - Commercial parties.7: {"relationship":"Market and grid operator","name":"Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)","detail":"ERCOT identifies Rio Nogales resources under the RIONOG resource group and lists the plant's three combustion-turbine and one steam-turbine resources.","official_url":"https://www.ercot.com/"} — Source · confidence: high - Quality notes.0: Current EIA reporting lists 1,108 MW, while historical construction and regulatory sources describe the original facility as 800 MW; the difference is not treated as a documented expansion. — Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com · confidence: high - Quality notes.1: The reported $171 million figure is an appraisal, not identified purchase consideration. The $521 million taxable-bond issue funded both the acquisition and initial capital expenditures. — CPS acquires Rio Nogales Gas Plant · confidence: high - Quality notes.1: The reported $171 million figure is an appraisal, not identified purchase consideration. The $521 million taxable-bond issue funded both the acquisition and initial capital expenditures. — CPS finishes Rio Nogales acquisition | News · confidence: high - Quality notes.1: The reported $171 million figure is an appraisal, not identified purchase consideration. The $521 million taxable-bond issue funded both the acquisition and initial capital expenditures. — Source · confidence: high - Quality notes.2: No completed expansion or retirement is established here. Rotor-replacement projects appear in interconnection-queue records with proposed completion dates, and CPS's 2021 planning table listed a technical life through 2047. — OUR JANUARY 2021 FLEXIBLE PATH RESOURCE PLAN PUBLIC INFORMATION · confidence: medium - Acquirer: CPS Energy — Source · confidence: high - Retirement date: Approximately 2034-2037 for the affected combustion-turbine units; no exact cessation date is stated — FY 2024 Budget Plan · confidence: medium - Transmission owner: Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) — Interchange - Filings · confidence: high - Resource type: Thermal combined-cycle gas resource (GAS-CC) — Source · confidence: high - Resource type: Thermal combined-cycle gas resource (GAS-CC) — Source · confidence: high - Grid role: South-zone, dispatchable combined-cycle gas generation used in CPS Energy's portfolio to replace the energy output of the retired J.T. Deely coal plant. — CPS Energy Acquires Rio Nogales Plant · confidence: medium - Grid role: South-zone, dispatchable combined-cycle gas generation used in CPS Energy's portfolio to replace the energy output of the retired J.T. Deely coal plant. — Source · confidence: medium ## Timeline - 2000 — Groundbreaking and construction The plant was reported as opening two years after groundbreaking, implying construction began around 2000. Source: Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com (https://seguingazette.com/news/rio-nogales-power-plant-officially-open/article_b2647536-9b71-5d4e-abc0-bc3b325161ec.html) - 2002-06 — Commercial operation began Contemporaneous coverage reported that the power plant started operations in June 2002. Source: Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com (https://seguingazette.com/news/rio-nogales-power-plant-officially-open/article_b2647536-9b71-5d4e-abc0-bc3b325161ec.html) - 2002-11-09 — Official opening Constellation Energy Group officially opened the $200 million Rio Nogales Power Project in Seguin as an 800 MW natural-gas-fired facility. Source: Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com (https://seguingazette.com/news/rio-nogales-power-plant-officially-open/article_b2647536-9b71-5d4e-abc0-bc3b325161ec.html) - 2012-03-12 — Purchase agreement announced CPS Energy announced an agreement to purchase the existing plant from a Tenaska Capital Management affiliate. Source: CPS Energy Acquires Rio Nogales Plant | Tenaska Capital (https://tenaskacapital.com/cps-energy-acquires-rio-nogales-plant/) - 2021 — Retirement planning horizon CPS Energy's resource plan listed Rio Nogales with a 2002 in-service year and a technical life extending through 2047, with no retirement date shown. Source: OUR JANUARY 2021 FLEXIBLE PATH RESOURCE PLAN PUBLIC INFORMATION (https://www.cpsenergy.com/content/dam/corporate/en/Documents/CPS%20Energy%20January%202021%20Flexible%20Path%20Resource%20Plan.pdf) ## Sources - [CPS Energy Acquires Rio Nogales Plant](https://tenaskacapital.com/cps-energy-acquires-rio-nogales-plant/) — tenaskacapital.com · tier other - [~ > X E T ~](https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/59639_2_1625341.PDF) — interchange.puc.texas.gov · tier regulatory - [Source](https://www.ercot.com/files/MarketNotice/2025/08/297735/Stand-Alone%20Generation%20Resources%20as%20of%2009.01.25.pdf) — ercot.com · tier regulatory - [Our History](https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/about-us/who-we-are.html) — cpsenergy.com · tier other - [Rio Nogales power plant officially open | News | seguingazette.com](https://seguingazette.com/news/rio-nogales-power-plant-officially-open/article_b2647536-9b71-5d4e-abc0-bc3b325161ec.html) — seguingazette.com · tier other - [Interchange - Filings](https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Search/Filings?ControlNumber=15612) — interchange.puc.texas.gov · tier regulatory - [Microsoft PowerPoint - Working Group #3 - Power Generation Final](https://www.cpsenergy.com/content/dam/corporate/en/Documents/RAC/Working%20Group%20%233%20-%20Power%20Generation%20Final.pdf) — cpsenergy.com · tier other - [Power plant profile: Rio Nogales Combined Cycle Power Plant, US](https://www.power-technology.com/marketdata/power-plant-profile-rio-nogales-combined-cycle-power-plant-us/) — power-technology.com · tier other - [Source](https://ercot.com/files/MarketNotice/2025/08/297735/Stand-Alone%20Generation%20Resources%20as%20of%2009.01.25.pdf) — ercot.com · tier regulatory - [Power plant profile: Rio Nogales Combined Cycle Power Plant, US](https://www.power-technology.com/marketdata/power-plant-profile-rio-nogales-combined-cycle-power-plant-us) — power-technology.com · tier other - [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.cpsenergy.com/content/dam/corporate/en/Documents/Finance/FY%202020%20Basic%20Financial%20Statements.pdf) — cpsenergy.com · tier other - [OUR JANUARY 2021 FLEXIBLE PATH RESOURCE PLAN PUBLIC INFORMATION](https://www.cpsenergy.com/content/dam/corporate/en/Documents/CPS%20Energy%20January%202021%20Flexible%20Path%20Resource%20Plan.pdf) — cpsenergy.com · tier other - [CPS acquires Rio Nogales Gas Plant](https://www.wilsoncountynews.com/articles/cps-acquires-rio-nogales-gas-plant/) — wilsoncountynews.com · tier other - [CPS finishes Rio Nogales acquisition | News](https://seguingazette.com/news/cps-finishes-rio-nogales-acquisition/article_2edfc6fc-836d-11e1-9470-001a4bcf887a.html) — seguingazette.com · tier other - [Source](https://tenaskacapital.com/cps-energy-acquires-rio-nogales-plant) — tenaskacapital.com · tier other - [Source](https://cpsenergy.com/en/about-us/who-we-are.html) — cpsenergy.com · tier other - [FY 2024 Budget Plan](https://www.cpsenergy.com/content/dam/corporate/en/Documents/Finance/FY2024-BudgetPlan-Final.pdf) — cpsenergy.com · tier other - [Source](https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2026/05/01/MORA_July2026.pdf) — ercot.com · tier regulatory ## Data quality - Current EIA reporting lists 1,108 MW, while historical construction and regulatory sources describe the original facility as 800 MW; the difference is not treated as a documented expansion. The reported $171 million figure is an appraisal, not identified purchase consideration. The $521 million taxable-bond issue funded both the acquisition and initial capital expenditures. No completed expansion or retirement is established here. Rotor-replacement projects appear in interconnection-queue records with proposed completion dates, and CPS's 2021 planning table listed a technical life through 2047. --- Canonical page: https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/rio-nogales-power-project Source: Ask the Grid — https://askthegrid.com/