MCGINNESS HILLS
OperatingGeothermal power plant
- Capacity
- 52 MW
- Primary fuel
- Geothermal
- County
- Lander County
- Operator
- ORMAT NEVADA INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2012
- EIA plant ID
- 57446
- Generators
- 6
- Technology
- Geothermal
- Net generation (2024)
- 603 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 66%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 39.5911, -116.9119
MCGINNESS HILLS, a 52 MW Geothermal power plant in Lander County, Nevada. Operated by ORMAT NEVADA INC, commissioned 2012.
How MCGINNESS HILLS compares
With 52 MW of capacity, MCGINNESS HILLS ranks 29th among the 50 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Nevada and 3rd of the 8 operating Geothermal plants in the state. It accounts for about 19% of Nevada's operating Geothermal capacity and 0.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 15th-largest of the 34 operating Geothermal plants in the database. Commissioned in 2012, it is newer than 65% of the 49 operating Nevada plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, ORMAT NEVADA INC, runs 5 operating plants in Nevada totaling 133 MW.
EIA-860 lists 6 generators at the site with 104 MW of nameplate capacity, all geothermal technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 52 MW). Net generation was 603 GWh in 2024 (a 66% capacity factor). Its generators came online between 2012 and 2023.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is FRONTIER (230 kV), about 6.5 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by SIERRA PACIFIC POWER COMPANY, about 4.7 miles away.
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
MCGINNESS HILLS is a 52 MW geothermal power plant in Lander County, NV, operated by ORMAT NEVADA INC, commissioned in 2012. Lander County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.6 of 5 at the 14th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 97th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a geothermal plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Lander County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89th | 4.5 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 16.6 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 3.0 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 0.57 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 21st | 1.8 of 5 | 24.6 |
| Hail | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 11th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.08 |
Perils not assessed in Lander 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 Lander 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.