University of Arizona - Biosphere 2
Natural gas power plant · Pinal County, Arizona
Nameplate capacity
3.1 MW
Rank in Arizona
#168
of 200 plants
In service since
1990
November 1990
Details
- Primary fuel
- Natural gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine
- Operator
- University of Arizona - Biosphere 2
- County
- Pinal County
- Generating units
- 2
- Share of state capacity
- 0.01%
- Rank among natural gas plants in Arizona
- #33 of 33
- EIA plant code
- 54594
Generating units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 1.6 MW | 1.6 MW | 2000 | Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used |
| G-1 | Petroleum Liquids | 1.5 MW | 1.5 MW | 1990 | Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used |
Nameplate is the maximum rated output; summer capacity is what the unit can reliably deliver on a hot day, which is typically lower.
Similarly sized plants in Arizona
| Northwest Regional | Other | 3.2 MW |
| Macys Goodyear | Solar | 3.1 MW |
| Actus Lend Lease DMAFB | Solar | 3.0 MW |
| Broadway 2 - Tucson Phase II | Solar | 3.0 MW |
About this data
From EIA’s inventory of operable generators, May 2026 release. Capacity is nameplate — the maximum rated output of the equipment, not what the plant actually generates over a year, which depends on how often it runs. A 3.1 MW solar plant and a 3.1 MW nuclear plant have the same entry here and produce very different amounts of electricity.
“In service since” is the earliest in-service date among the units still listed, so a site rebuilt around newer equipment can read as younger than the site itself. All Arizona power plants · What Arizona actually generates