Middle River Power (MRP) has acquired the Panoche Energy Center, a fully contracted 427-megawatt natural gas–generation facility located in Firebaugh, Calif., from an Ares Infrastructure Equity fund.
Keith Derman, head of Ares Infrastructure Equity, said the firm has supported this critical asset since its development 20 years ago and is pleased to have worked closely with MRP throughout this process. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
MRP is an independent power producer and asset management company focused on finding creative solutions that accelerate the energy transition. The acquisition builds on the company’s growing portfolio of flexible, reliable and cleaner generation assets. It follows the additions of the 240-megawatt Midway-Sunset and 250-megawatt Brush facilities earlier in 2026.
MRP expects to apply its hybridization strategy to Panoche, pairing efficient thermal capacity with storage to meet rising demand across multiple se
