ALTA WIND ENERGY CENTER IV
OperatingWind power plant
- Capacity
- 102 MW
- Primary fuel
- Wind
- County
- Kern County
- Operator
- TERRA-GEN OPERATING CO LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2011
- EIA plant ID
- 57293
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Onshore Wind Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 193 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 22%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.0086, -118.2422
ALTA WIND ENERGY CENTER IV, a 102 MW Wind power plant in Kern County, California. Operated by TERRA-GEN OPERATING CO LLC, commissioned 2011.
How ALTA WIND ENERGY CENTER IV compares
With 102 MW of capacity, ALTA WIND ENERGY CENTER IV ranks 163rd among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 22nd of the 89 operating Wind plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.9% of California's operating Wind capacity and 0.1% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 224th-largest of the 708 operating Wind plants in the database. Commissioned in 2011, it is newer than 59% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, TERRA-GEN OPERATING CO LLC, runs 15 operating plants in California totaling 1,181 MW. It shares Kern County with 118 other operating plants, including LA PALOMA GENERATING LLC and PASTORIA ENERGY FACILITY LLC.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 102 MW of nameplate capacity, all onshore wind turbine technology. Net generation was 193 GWh in 2024 (a 22% capacity factor), up 10% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is WESTWIND (230 kV), about 2.8 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line, about 1.1 miles away. Another 84 operating power plants totaling 4,571 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is SOLAR STAR 1 (318 MW, Solar).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
ALTA WIND ENERGY CENTER IV is a 102 MW wind power plant in Kern County, CA, operated by TERRA-GEN OPERATING CO LLC, commissioned in 2011. Kern County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.7 of 5 at the 18th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 98th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a wind plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Kern County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.08 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 79th | 4.2 of 5 | 7.5 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 5.6 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.37 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 5.4 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 8.0 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | 0.10 |
Perils not assessed in Kern County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Kern County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.