CARDINAL COGEN
Retired 2015Natural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 53 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Santa Clara County
- Operator
- CARDINAL COGEN INC
- EIA plant ID
- 10168
- Coordinates
- 37.4298, -122.1763
CARDINAL COGEN, a retired 53 MW Natural Gas power plant in Santa Clara County, California. It was retired in 2015, according to EIA-860.
How CARDINAL COGEN compares
It was retired in 2015 according to EIA-860, so it is not counted in California's operating fleet. It shares Santa Clara County with 12 other operating plants, including METCALF ENERGY CENTER and LOS ESTEROS CRITICAL ENERGY CENTER.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is STANFORD (60 kV), about 0.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, about 1.9 miles away. Another 15 operating power plants totaling 1,278 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is RUSSELL CITY ENERGY CENTER (655 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 31 mapped data centers; the nearest is Equinix SV8 - Silicon Valley, Palo Alto in Palo Alto, about 1.4 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860 retirement records and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
CARDINAL COGEN is a retired 53 MW natural gas power plant in Santa Clara County, CA, formerly operated by CARDINAL COGEN INC. Santa Clara County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.6 of 5 at the 14th 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 natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Santa Clara County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89th | 4.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively High | 36th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.98 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 8.0 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.04 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 0.03 |
Perils not assessed in Santa Clara 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 |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Santa Clara 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.