About the Rio Grande Project
The Rio Grande Project was authorized by the Rio Grande Reclamation Project Act of Feb. 25, 1905. The project is located on the Rio Grande River in south-central New Mexico. Elephant Butte Dam, 125 miles north of El Paso, Texas, was completed in 1916. Caballo Dam, a flood control and reregulating reservoir, located 13 miles downstream, was added to the project in 1938.
Elephant Butte Powerplant and the 115-kV transmission system were added in 1940 and 1952, respectively. The transmission system was sold to the Plains Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative in 1979. Hot Springs Substation was sold to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in 1984. The three-unit powerplant has an operating capacity of 28 MW.
Historical Rates
Last modified on June 15th, 2026