How many natural gas power plants are planned in California?

Developers have proposed 16 natural gas power plants in California with 1.2 GW of capacity, according to the grid operators' interconnection queues. Most queue projects are never built.

What is the largest planned natural gas power plant in California?

Sunrise Power Improvement in Kern County, California is the largest planned, at 656 MW. It is expected to come online in 2024.

Who is developing natural gas power plants in California?

Interconnection queues list each project under a project company, not the developer behind it. Cleanview researches the developer of every project and has them on paid plans.

Planned natural gas power plants in California

Developers have proposed 16 natural gas power plants in California with 1.2 GW of capacity, in the grid operators' interconnection queues.

Planned16

See operating natural gas power plants in California

Updated monthly. Last updated November 2026.

Under 250 MW250–999 MW1 GW and up

Updated monthly. Last updated November 2026.

More planned natural gas power plants in California are expected online in 2029 than in any other year

2026’262027’272028’282029’292030’302031’312032’322033’33

Planned natural gas power plants by the year they're expected online. Source: the grid operators' interconnection queues, compiled by Cleanview.

The 10 largest planned natural gas power plants in California

Planned, by capacity

#	Natural gas power plant	County	Expected online	Capacity
1	Sunrise Power Improvement	Kern County	2024	656 MW
2	Tracy Combined-Cycle Power Plant	San Joaquin County	2027	145 MW
3	Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility Expansion	Santa Clara County	2023	120 MW
4	Midway Peaking	Fresno County	2027	120 MW
5	Fresno Cogeneration Expansion Project	Fresno County	2023	73 MW
6	Tracy-Additional Capacity	San Joaquin County	2012	20 MW
7	El Centro Hybrid	Imperial County	2029	19 MW
8	El Centro Hybrid	Imperial County	2029	19 MW
9	El Centro Hybrid	Imperial County	2029	19 MW
10	El Centro Hybrid	Imperial County	2029	19 MW

Planned natural gas power plants expected online soonest in California

In the next 18 months, soonest first

#	Natural gas power plant	County	Expected online	Capacity
1	Tracy Combined-Cycle Power Plant	San Joaquin County	2027	145 MW
2	Midway Peaking	Fresno County	2027	120 MW

The developer behind each project is on paid plans. See plans

How Cleanview tracks natural gas power plants

Operating natural gas power plants come from the EIA's monthly survey of power plants. Planned projects come from the grid operators' interconnection queues. We research who is developing each one, since a queue lists a project company, not its owner.

Questions about natural gas power plants in California

How many natural gas power plants are planned in California?: Developers have proposed 16 natural gas power plants in California with 1.2 GW of capacity, according to the grid operators' interconnection queues. Most queue projects are never built.
What is the largest planned natural gas power plant in California?: Sunrise Power Improvement in Kern County, California is the largest planned, at 656 MW. It is expected to come online in 2024.
Who is developing natural gas power plants in California?: Interconnection queues list each project under a project company, not the developer behind it. Cleanview researches the developer of every project and has them on paid plans.