HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 852 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- San Bernardino County
- Operator
- HIGH DESERT POWER PROJECT LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2003
- EIA plant ID
- 55518
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 4,596 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 55%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.5953, -117.3647
HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT, an 852 MW Natural Gas power plant in San Bernardino County, California. Operated by HIGH DESERT POWER PROJECT LLC, commissioned 2003.
How HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT compares
With 852 MW of capacity, HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT ranks 12th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 8th of the 190 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 2.3% of California's operating Natural Gas capacity and 1.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 139th-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 San Bernardino County with 64 other operating plants, including MOUNTAINVIEW GENERATING STATION and STATELINE SOLAR.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 960 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 852 MW). Net generation was 4,596 GWh in 2024 (a 55% capacity factor), up 13% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CALDWELL (230 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line, about 0.1 miles away. Another 31 operating power plants totaling 120 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MOJAVE SIPHON (33 MW, Hydro).
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
HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT is an 852 MW natural gas power plant in San Bernardino County, CA, operated by HIGH DESERT POWER PROJECT LLC, commissioned in 2003. 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 natural gas 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.