# Tenaska Frontier Generation Station

ERCOT Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle · https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/tenaska-frontier-generation-station

Tenaska Frontier Generation Station is a natural gas-fired power facility with 939.7 MW of EIA-reported nameplate capacity in Grimes County, Texas, registered as EIA Plant ID 55062. Tenaska Frontier Partners Ltd owns and operates the plant. J-POWER, through its U.S. Commercial operation began in May 2000.

## Key facts

- Technology: Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Power capacity: 939.6999999999999 MW
- Operating status: operating

## Grid and market context

- ISO/RTO: ERCOT
- Balancing authority: Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCO)
- Substation: Grimes 345 kV Station
- Point of interconnection: Grimes 345 kV Station
- Transmission owner: CenterPoint Energy on the ERCOT side; Entergy Transmission Operations Center or ITC Holdings on the Eastern-interconnection side
- Interconnection voltage: 345 kV

## Source-backed facts

- Owner logo domain: tenaska.com — Tenaska: Home · confidence: high
- Official project url: https://www.tenaska.com/tenaska-frontier-generating-station-celebrates-25-years-of-operation-in-grimes-county/ — Tenaska Frontier Generating Station Celebrates 25 Years of Operation in Grimes County - Tenaska · confidence: high
- Description: Tenaska Frontier Generation Station is a 939.7 MW natural-gas-fired combined-cycle facility in Grimes County near Shiro, Texas, with four generating units. The facility began commercial operation in 2000 and can supply both the ERCOT and MISO markets through switchable interconnections. It is owned by Tenaska Frontier Partners, Ltd. — Source · confidence: medium
- Canonical name: Tenaska Frontier Generation Station — Tenaska Frontier Generating Station Celebrates 25 Years of Operation in Grimes County - Tenaska · confidence: high
- Identifiers.6: {"value":"STG1","system":"EIA/FERC generator ID"} — Asset Appendix Report - MBR · confidence: high
- Parties.11: {"relationship":"Gas-turbine, steam-turbine, and electric-generator supplier","name":"General Electric / GE Power","official_url":"https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f"} — Power plant profile: Tenaska Frontier Generating Station, US · confidence: medium
- Parties.12: {"relationship":"Steam-boiler supplier","name":"Hamon Deltak","official_url":null} — Power plant profile: Tenaska Frontier Generating Station, US · confidence: high
- Parties.13: {"relationship":"Fuel supplier","name":"Kinder Morgan","official_url":"https://www.kindermorgan.com/"} — Power plant profile: Tenaska Frontier Generating Station, US · confidence: high
- Parties.14: {"relationship":"Power-purchase-agreement counterparty","name":"Constellation Energy Generation","official_url":null} — Power plant profile: Tenaska Frontier Generating Station, US · confidence: high
- Parties.15: {"relationship":"ERCOT-side transmission and switching coordinator","name":"CenterPoint Energy","official_url":"https://www.centerpointenergy.com/"} — Source · confidence: high
- Parties.16: {"relationship":"Eastern-interconnection transmission and switching coordinator","name":"Entergy","official_url":"https://www.entergy.com/"} — Source · confidence: high
- Parties.17: {"relationship":"MISO market participant for Frontier units","name":"Exelon","official_url":"https://www.exeloncorp.com/"} — Source · confidence: high
- Interconnection: Tenaska Frontier disconnect switches connected to the CenterPoint Energy 345-kV bus; the facility is dual-grid/switchable for ERCOT and MISO. — Source · confidence: medium
- Interconnection: Tenaska Frontier disconnect switches connected to the CenterPoint Energy 345-kV bus; the facility is dual-grid/switchable for ERCOT and MISO. — MISO · confidence: medium
- Site acres: 224 — MISO · confidence: medium
- Commercial operation date: 2000-05 — Source · confidence: medium
- Construction scope: GBV-Texas L.P. was selected as EPC contractor. The plant was built in a 3×1 combined-cycle configuration with three GE 7FA gas turbines driving three electric generators, three heat-recovery steam generators, and one GE steam turbine generator. Hamon Deltak supplied the steam boiler. — Source · confidence: medium
- Product url: https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f — 7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05 · confidence: high
- Manufacturer domain: gevernova.com — Source · confidence: medium
- Significance: The 1998 project announcement described Tenaska Frontier as the largest non-utility electric-generation plant in the United States at 830 MW. Its switchable design was intended to dispatch electricity beyond ERCOT, and the plant now supplies both ERCOT and MISO. — Construction on the Largest Non-Utility Electric Generation Plant will Begin Immediately · confidence: high
- Significance: The 1998 project announcement described Tenaska Frontier as the largest non-utility electric-generation plant in the United States at 830 MW. Its switchable design was intended to dispatch electricity beyond ERCOT, and the plant now supplies both ERCOT and MISO. — Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant · confidence: high
- Quality notes: ["The 939.7 MW figure is the EIA-linked nameplate total for four generators; Tenaska's public operating materials use an 830 MW capacity figure, so the two values should not be treated as interchangeable.","The 2006 transaction was reported as a 62% direct and indirect-interest acquisition, while the 2024 sale announcement referred to J-POWER's 50% stake and the subsequent FERC authorization referred to 62% of beneficial interests. These are different ownership descriptions and should not be merged without a common ownership schedule.","The disclosed $78.5 million equity infusion and $195 million bridge facility relate to J-POWER's 2006 acquisition financing, not the original project financing or the 2024 sale consideration. The original project's financing amount was not disclosed in the located announcement.","The operating record identifies four generators online in 2000 and still operational; no separate expansion, retirement, or repowering milestone is stated."] — Japan's J-Power to sell stake in US gas power company | Reuters · confidence: medium
- Financing summary: Original project financing was reported completed on 1998-08-27; Credit Lyonnais arranged and underwrote the construction and term-loan financing, but the project-financing amount was not disclosed. For J-POWER's 2006 acquisition, J-POWER made a $78.5 million equity infusion on 2006-04-28 and arranged a bridge facility with a maximum amount of $195 million on 2006-05-01 pending finalization of non-recourse project financing. Separately, on 2024-10-31 J-POWER announced the sale of its reported 50% stake to ACR IV Frontier Holdings for $155 million; that amount is sale consideration, not project financing. — Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant · confidence: medium
- Financing summary: Original project financing was reported completed on 1998-08-27; Credit Lyonnais arranged and underwrote the construction and term-loan financing, but the project-financing amount was not disclosed. For J-POWER's 2006 acquisition, J-POWER made a $78.5 million equity infusion on 2006-04-28 and arranged a bridge facility with a maximum amount of $195 million on 2006-05-01 pending finalization of non-recourse project financing. Separately, on 2024-10-31 J-POWER announced the sale of its reported 50% stake to ACR IV Frontier Holdings for $155 million; that amount is sale consideration, not project financing. — Japan's J-Power to sell stake in US gas power company | Reuters · confidence: medium
- Commercial parties.3: {"relationship":"Current ownership affiliate","name":"Atlas Holdings LLC","detail":"Named by Tenaska as one of the affiliates comprising Tenaska Frontier Partners' ownership.","official_url":"https://www.atlasholdingsllc.com/"} — Atlas Holdings » Transforming Businesses into Performance... · confidence: high
- Commercial parties.6: {"relationship":"Historical buyer and later seller","name":"J-POWER USA / J-POWER USA Generation Capital, LLC","detail":"J-POWER acquired the project interest in May 2006 through North American subsidiaries. FERC later identified J-POWER USA Generation Capital, LLC as the transferor of the beneficial interest to ACR IV Frontier Holdings.","official_url":"https://www.jpowerusa.com/"} — J-Power USA: Home · confidence: medium
- Commercial parties.7: {"relationship":"2024 transaction buyer","name":"ACR IV Frontier Holdings, LLC","detail":"Agreed to acquire J-POWER's reported 50% stake for $155 million; FERC described the authorized transaction as an indirect acquisition of 62% of the beneficial interests.","official_url":null} — Japan's J-Power to sell stake in US gas power company | Reuters · confidence: high
- Commercial parties.9: {"relationship":"Construction and term-loan financing arranger and underwriter","name":"Credit Lyonnais","detail":"Arranged and underwrote the original construction and term-loan financing announced in 1998.","official_url":null} — Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant · confidence: high
- Commercial parties.10: {"relationship":"Historical output marketer","name":"Power Team, a division of PECO Energy","detail":"Contracted to market the facility's entire output in ERCOT and the Eastern Interconnect during the original project development.","official_url":null} — Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant · confidence: high
- Commercial parties.10: {"relationship":"Historical output marketer","name":"Power Team, a division of PECO Energy","detail":"Contracted to market the facility's entire output in ERCOT and the Eastern Interconnect during the original project development.","official_url":null} — Construction on the Largest Non-Utility Electric Generation Plant will Begin Immediately · confidence: high
- Commercial parties.13: {"relationship":"Fuel supplier","name":"Kinder Morgan","detail":"Identified in a project profile as the natural-gas procurement provider for the facility.","official_url":"https://www.kindermorgan.com/"} — Source · confidence: medium
- Timeline.0: {"event":"Original project financing completed","date":"1998-08-27","detail":"Financing for the project was completed on August 27, 1998. Credit Lyonnais arranged and underwrote the construction and term-loan financing."} — Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant · confidence: medium
- Timeline.2: {"event":"Commercial operation","date":"2000-09","detail":"The Frontier generating station entered commercial operation in September 2000."} — Projects of the Year 2001 Winners Honored · confidence: high
- Timeline.6: {"event":"J-POWER acquisition completed","date":"2006-05","detail":"J-POWER reported acquiring equity interests in Tenaska Frontier in May 2006. The contemporaneous transaction announcement described J-POWER USA's acquisition as 62% of direct and indirect ownership interests, subject to regulatory approval, with Tenaska affiliates retaining 10% and continuing as managing general partner and operator."} — Source · confidence: medium
- Timeline.6: {"event":"J-POWER acquisition completed","date":"2006-05","detail":"J-POWER reported acquiring equity interests in Tenaska Frontier in May 2006. The contemporaneous transaction announcement described J-POWER USA's acquisition as 62% of direct and indirect ownership interests, subject to regulatory approval, with Tenaska affiliates retaining 10% and continuing as managing general partner and operator."} — J-Power Makes First U.S. Acquisition · confidence: medium
- Timeline.7: {"event":"Plant recertification","date":"2021","detail":"Tenaska reported that the plant was successfully recertified in 2021."} — Tenaska Frontier Generating Station Celebrates 25 Years... · confidence: high
- Timeline.8: {"event":"Stake sale announced","date":"2024-10-31","detail":"J-POWER announced the planned sale of its reported 50% stake in Tenaska Frontier Partners to ACR IV Frontier Holdings for $155 million."} — Japan's J-Power to sell stake in US gas power company | Reuters · confidence: high
- Substation: Grimes 345 kV Station — Source · confidence: medium
- Interconnection voltage kv: 345 — Source · confidence: high
- Status date: 2026-07-02 — Source · confidence: medium
- Transmission owner: CenterPoint Energy on the ERCOT side; Entergy Transmission Operations Center or ITC Holdings on the Eastern-interconnection side — Source · confidence: medium
- Resource type: Thermal (GAS-CC) — Source · confidence: high
- Resource type: Thermal (GAS-CC) — Source · confidence: high
- Grid role: Dual-grid switchable combined-cycle generation that can serve either ERCOT or the Eastern Interconnection/MISO, supporting grid reliability and allowing individual units to be switched between the two grids. — Source · confidence: high
- Grid role: Dual-grid switchable combined-cycle generation that can serve either ERCOT or the Eastern Interconnection/MISO, supporting grid reliability and allowing individual units to be switched between the two grids. — Source · confidence: high

## Timeline

- 1998-08-27 — Original project financing completed
  Financing for the project was completed on August 27, 1998. Credit Lyonnais arranged and underwrote the construction and term-loan financing.
  Source: Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant (https://naturalgasintel.com/news/texas-slated-for-largest-non-utility-power-plant/)
- 1998-09-02 — Construction announced and commenced
  Tenaska Frontier Partners and Power Team announced that construction would begin immediately on the 830 MW natural-gas-fired combined-cycle facility near Shiro, Texas. GBV-Texas L. P. was selected as EPC contractor, and General Electric was to supply three gas turbines and one steam turbine.
  Source: Construction on the Largest Non-Utility Electric Generation Plant will Begin Immediately (https://www.poweronline.com/doc/construction-on-the-largest-non-utility-elect-0001)
- 2000-05 — Commercial operation
  Tenaska Frontier Generation Station entered commercial operation.
  Source: Source (https://tenaska.com/tenaska-frontier-generating-station-celebrates-25-years-of-operation-in-grimes-county)
- 2000-09 — Commercial operation
  The Frontier generating station entered commercial operation in September 2000.
  Source: Projects of the Year 2001 Winners Honored (https://www.power-eng.com/operations-maintenance/projects-of-the-year-2001-winners-honored/)
- 2025-10-20 — 25th anniversary milestone
  Tenaska reported that the facility had completed 25 years of operation, generated nearly 100 million MWh, and continued supplying both ERCOT and MISO.
  Source: Tenaska Frontier Generating Station Celebrates 25 Years of Operation in Grimes County - Tenaska (https://www.tenaska.com/tenaska-frontier-generating-station-celebrates-25-years-of-operation-in-grimes-county/)

## Sources

- [Tenaska: Home](https://www.tenaska.com/) — tenaska.com · tier other
- [Asset Appendix Report - MBR](https://mbrweb.ferc.gov/SearchMBRAssetAppendix/AssetAppendixDetails?AssetAppendixId=11512) — mbrweb.ferc.gov · tier regulatory
- [Tenaska Frontier Generating Station Celebrates 25 Years of Operation in Grimes County - Tenaska](https://www.tenaska.com/tenaska-frontier-generating-station-celebrates-25-years-of-operation-in-grimes-county/) — tenaska.com · tier other
- [Source](https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2017/04/04/07._Switchable_Generation_Resources_Whitepaper_V1.0.pdf) — ercot.com · tier regulatory
- [Construction on the Largest Non-Utility Electric Generation Plant will Begin Immediately](https://www.poweronline.com/doc/construction-on-the-largest-non-utility-elect-0001) — poweronline.com · tier other
- [Power plant profile: Tenaska Frontier Generating Station, US](https://www.power-technology.com/data-insights/power-plant-profile-tenaska-frontier-generating-station-us/) — power-technology.com · tier other
- [Source](https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2016/08/29/04b._Tenaska_Frontier_Operating_Guide.doc) — ercot.com · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/35077_194_672781.PDF) — interchange.puc.texas.gov · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://tenaska.com/tenaska-frontier-generating-station-celebrates-25-years-of-operation-in-grimes-county) — tenaska.com · tier other
- [Source](https://www.tenaska.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2001-Texas-Dynamic-Duo.pdf) — tenaska.com · tier other
- [7F Heavy Duty Gas Turbine | 7F.04/7F.05](https://www.gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f) — gevernova.com · tier other
- [Source](https://gevernova.com/gas-power/products/gas-turbines/7f) — gevernova.com · tier other
- [Texas Slated for Largest Non-Utility Power Plant](https://naturalgasintel.com/news/texas-slated-for-largest-non-utility-power-plant/) — naturalgasintel.com · tier other
- [Projects of the Year 2001 Winners Honored](https://www.power-eng.com/operations-maintenance/projects-of-the-year-2001-winners-honored/) — power-eng.com · tier other
- [Source](https://www.jpower.co.jp/english/ir/library/pdf/2006/2006.pdf) — jpower.co.jp · tier other
- [Japan's J-Power to sell stake in US gas power company](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/japans-j-power-sell-stake-us-gas-power-company-2024-10-31/) — reuters.com · tier other
- [Source](https://power-technology.com/data-insights/power-plant-profile-tenaska-frontier-generating-station-us) — power-technology.com · tier other
- [Atlas Holdings » Transforming Businesses into Performance ...](https://www.atlasholdingsllc.com/) — atlasholdingsllc.com · tier other
- [J-Power USA: Home](https://www.jpowerusa.com/) — jpowerusa.com · tier other
- [J-Power Makes First U.S. Acquisition](https://www.power-eng.com/operations-maintenance/j-power-makes-first-us-acquisition/) — power-eng.com · tier other
- [Source](https://opsportal.spp.org/documents/studies/files/tenaska_gtwy.pdf) — opsportal.spp.org · tier other
- [Source](https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2026/05/01/MORA_July2026.pdf) — ercot.com · tier regulatory
- [Source](https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2025/09/02/Stand-Alone-Generation-Resources-as-of-09.01.25-v2.pdf) — ercot.com · tier regulatory

## Data quality

- The 939.7 MW figure is the EIA-linked nameplate total for four generators; Tenaska's public operating materials use an 830 MW capacity figure, so the two values should not be treated as interchangeable. These are different ownership descriptions and should not be merged without a common ownership schedule. The original project's financing amount was not disclosed in the located announcement. The operating record identifies four generators online in 2000 and still operational; no separate expansion, retirement, or repowering milestone is stated.

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