List of power stations in California


This is a list of power stations in the U.S. state of California that are used for utility-scale electricity generation. This includes baseload, peaking, and energy storage power stations, but does not include large backup generators., California had 80 GW of installed generation capacity encompassing more than 1,500 power plants; with 41 GW of natural gas, 26.5 GW of renewable, 12 GW large hydroelectric, and 2.4 GW nuclear.
In 2020, California had a total summer capacity of 78,055 MW through all of its power plants, and a net energy generation of 193,075 GWh. Its electricity production was the third largest in the nation behind Texas and Florida. California ranks first in the nation as a producer of solar, geothermal, and biomass resources. Utility-scale solar photovoltaic and thermal sources together generated 17% of electricity in 2021. Small-scale solar including customer-owned PV panels delivered an additional net 19,828 GWh to California's electrical grid, equal to about half the generation by the state's utility-scale facilities.
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County is the largest power station in California with a nameplate capacity of 2,256 MW and an annual generation of 18,214 GWh in 2018. The largest under construction is the Westlands Solar Park in Kings County, which will generate 2,000 MW when completed in 2025.
The California Independent System Operator oversees the operation of its member utilities.

Battery storage

This is a list of operational battery storage power stations in California with a nameplate capacity of at least 10 megawatts.
NameLocationCoordinatesPower
Energy storage
Owner
Edwards Sanborn32872022-2024875 MW solar
Vistra 500kVMoss Landing?4501800Vistra Moss Landing2020-23
Crimson Energy StorageBlythe3501400Recurrent Energy
Desert Peak Energy Storage IPalm Springs3251300
Eland3001200Arevon2025758 MW solar
CondorSan Bernardino200800Arevon2024
PeregrineBarrio Logan200800Arevon2025
Moss Landing Elkhorn batteryMoss Landing182.5730
VikingsHoltville150600Arevon2025157 MW solar
Alamitos BESSLong Beach?100400Alamitos Energy Center2021
Stanton Battery Energy StorageStanton68.8275.2W Power, LLC2023
Gateway Energy StorageOtay Mesa250250LS Power Group2020
Pomona Energy Storage FacilityPomona2080AltaGas2017
Beacon BESS 1Kern County2010LADWP2018
El Centro BESSEl Centro3020IID2016
Escondido Energy StorageEscondido30120SDG&E, AES2017
Mira Loma Energy Storage FacilityOntario2080SCE, Tesla Energy2017
Vista Energy Storage SystemVista40?LS Power Group2018

Biomass

This is a list of operational biomass and biogas power stations in California with a nameplate capacity of at least 10 megawatts.
NameLocationCoordinatesCapacity
OwnerType
Buena Vista Biomass PowerBuena Vista18.5Maas CompaniesBiomass1990s
Burney Forest PowerJohnson Park11North American Energy ServicesBiomass
Desert View PowerMecca55.5Greenleaf PowerBiomass1992
Dinuba EnergyReedley12Community Renewable Energy ServicesBiomass1985
Honey LakeLassen County32Greenleaf PowerBiomass1989
Hyperion DGUPLos Angeles33Los Angeles City SanitationBiogas2016
Loyalton Biomass PlantLoyalton20American Renewable PowerBiomass1987
Mount Poso CogenerationKern County45DTE PowerBiomass1980
Pacific Ultrapower Chinese StationTuolumne County22IHI Power Generation Corporation, Jamestown EnergyBiomass1986
Port of Stockton District Energy FacilityStockton50DTE PowerBiomass1988
Puente Hills Energy RecoveryLos Angeles County50Los Angeles County Sanitation DistrictBiogas1980s
Reworld StanislausStanislaus County22.5ReworldBiomass1989
Rio Bravo FresnoFresno28.7IHI Power Generation CorporationBiomass1988
Rio Bravo RocklinWhitney27.3Constellation Energy, North American Power GroupBiomass1989
Scotia MillScotia18Humboldt Sawmill CompanyBiomass1988
Southeast Resource Recovery FacilityLong Beach35.6Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Covanta EnergyIncinerator1988
Sunshine Gas ProducersLos Angeles County23.5DTE PowerBiogas2014
Total Energy FacilitiesSan Pedro38.4Los Angeles County Sanitation DistrictBiogas1980s
Wheelabrator ShastaAnderson55Wheelabrator TechnologiesBiomass1987
WoodlandWoodland25DTE PowerBiomass

Coal

The Argus Cogeneration Plant in San Bernardino County is the only coal-fired power station still operating within the state of California. The Intermountain Power Plant in the state of Utah supplied 20% of the electricity consumed by Los Angeles residents in 2017.
NameLocationCoordinatesCapacity
OwnerTypeNotes
Argus Cogeneration PlantTrona63Searles Valley MineralsCoal1978
Intermountain Power PlantDelta, Utah1,900LADWP, other Los Angeles area cities Coal1986Plans exist for replacing this plant with an 840-MW natural gas plant, capable of burning up to 30% hydrogen, by 2025.

Geothermal

This is a list of all operational geothermal power stations in California.
NameLocationCoordinatesCapacity
OwnerType
CosoInyo County272.2Coso Operating CompanyFlash steam1987
Sonoma, Lake County1,590Calpine, NCPA, SVP, USRGDry steam1960
HeberImperial County161.5OrmatBinary cycle1985
Imperial ValleyImperial County432.3CalEnergy, EnergySourceDry steam1982
MammothMono County40OrmatBinary cycle1984
North BrawleyImperial County64OrmatBinary cycle2010
OrmesaImperial County101.6OrmatBinary cycle1987

Hydroelectric

Conventional

Conventional hydroelectric power stations include traditional reservoir and run-of-the-river hydroelectric power stations. The list below includes all conventional hydroelectric power station in the state with a nameplate capacity of at least 50 megawatts.
NameLocationCoordinatesCapacity
Owner
Balch PowerhouseFresno County128.2PG&E1927
Belden PowerhousePlumas County118PG&E1969
Big Creek No. 1Fresno County88.4SCE1913
Big Creek No. 2Fresno County66.6SCE1913
Big Creek No. 2AFresno County110SCE1928
Big Creek No. 3Fresno County174.5SCE1923
Big Creek No. 4Fresno County100SCE1951
Big Creek No. 8Fresno County75SCE1921
Bucks Creek PowerhousePlumas County66PG&E1928
Camino PowerhouseEl Dorado County157.8SMUD
Caribou No. 1Plumas County73.8PG&E1921
Caribou No. 2Plumas County118PG&E1958
Cresta PowerhousePlumas County73.8PG&E
Devil CanyonSan Bernardino276.2CDWR
Dion R Holm PowerhouseTuolumne County156.8
Donnells PowerhouseTuolumne County72
Drum No. 2 PowerhousePlacer County53PG&E
Electra PowerhouseAmador County102.5PG&E1900
Folsom DamFolsom198.6USBR1956
Haas PowerhouseFresno County135PG&E
James B Black PowerhouseShasta County168.6PG&E
Jaybird PowerhouseEl Dorado County161.6SMUD1961
Judge Francis Carr PowerhouseShasta County154.4USBR1963
Kerckhoff Powerhouse No. 2Fresno County139.5PG&E
Keswick DamKeswick117USBR1950
Loon Lake PowerhouseEl Dorado County74SMUD1971
Mammoth Pool PowerhouseMadera County190SCE1959
Middle Fork PowerhousePlacer County122.4
Moccasin PowerhouseMoccasin100SFPUC1930
New Bullards Bar DamYuba County315YCWA1969
New Don Pedro DamLa Grange170.8MID, TID1971
New Exchequer DamMerced Falls94.5MeID1967
New Melones DamCalaveras County300USBR1979
Oroville DamOroville644CDWR1968
Parker DamParker Dam120USBR1938
Pine Flat DamPiedra165USACE1954
Pit No. 1 PowerhouseShasta County69.2PG&E
Pit No. 3 PowerhouseShasta County80PG&E
Pit No. 4 PowerhouseShasta County103.4PG&E
Pit No. 5 PowerhouseShasta County141.6PG&E
Pit No. 6 PowerhouseShasta County79.2PG&E
Pit No. 7 PowerhouseShasta County109.8PG&E
Poe PowerhousePlumas County142.8PG&E
R.C. Kirkwood PowerhouseTuolumne County155.5
Ralston PowerhousePlacer County79.2
Rock Creek PowerhousePlumas County126PG&E
San Francisquito No. 1Los Angeles County65.5LADWP1917
Shasta DamShasta Lake714USBR1945
Spring Creek Power PlantKeswick180USBR1964
Tiger Creek PowerhouseAmador County52.2PG&E1931
Trinity DamTrinity County140USBR1962
White Rock PowerhouseEl Dorado County266.5SMUD
William E. WarneLos Angeles County74CDWR