ARGUS COGEN PLANT
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 63 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- San Bernardino County
- Operator
- SEARLES VALLEY MINERALS OPERATIONS INC.
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1947
- EIA plant ID
- 10684
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Conventional Steam Coal
- Net generation (2024)
- 263 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 48%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.7650, -117.3833
ARGUS COGEN PLANT, a 63 MW Coal power plant in San Bernardino County, California. Operated by SEARLES VALLEY MINERALS OPERATIONS INC., commissioned 1947.
How ARGUS COGEN PLANT compares
With 63 MW of capacity, ARGUS COGEN PLANT ranks 212th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California. It accounts for under 0.1% of all operating capacity in California. Nationally it is the 257th-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1947, it is older than 94% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, SEARLES VALLEY MINERALS OPERATIONS INC., runs 2 operating plants in California totaling 83 MW. It shares San Bernardino County with 64 other operating plants, including MOUNTAINVIEW GENERATING STATION and HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 63 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional steam coal technology. Net generation was 263 GWh in 2024 (a 48% capacity factor), down 8% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1947 and 1978.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is MCGEN (115 kV), about 0.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by AZUSA LIGHT & POWER, about 0.2 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 31 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WESTEND FACILITY (20 MW, Natural Gas).
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
ARGUS COGEN PLANT is a 63 MW coal power plant in San Bernardino County, CA, operated by SEARLES VALLEY MINERALS OPERATIONS INC., commissioned in 1947. San Bernardino County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.3 of 5 at the 33rd national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Very High by FEMA at the 99th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a coal plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
San Bernardino County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Wildfire | Very High | 99th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 13.0 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 11.6 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 20th | 1.8 of 5 | 0.07 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.76 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 16.8 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 2.1 |
Perils not assessed in San Bernardino 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 "No Rating" 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 San Bernardino 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.