ELK HILLS POWER LLC
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 623 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Kern County
- Operator
- ELK HILLS POWER LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2003
- EIA plant ID
- 55400
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 2,135 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 39%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.2803, -119.4707
ELK HILLS POWER LLC, a 623 MW Natural Gas power plant in Kern County, California. Operated by ELK HILLS POWER LLC, commissioned 2003.
How ELK HILLS POWER LLC compares
With 623 MW of capacity, ELK HILLS POWER LLC ranks 26th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 19th of the 190 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.7% of California's operating Natural Gas capacity and 0.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 243rd-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2003, it is older than 51% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Kern County with 118 other operating plants, including LA PALOMA GENERATING LLC and PASTORIA ENERGY FACILITY LLC.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 623 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 2,135 GWh in 2024 (a 39% capacity factor), down 42% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is DOME PROJECT, about 6.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, about 0.1 miles away. Another 24 operating power plants totaling 2,606 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is LA PALOMA GENERATING LLC (1,200 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
ELK HILLS POWER LLC is a 623 MW natural gas power plant in Kern County, CA, operated by ELK HILLS POWER LLC, commissioned in 2003. 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 natural gas 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.