Balch 1
Hydro power plant in Fresno County, California. 31 MW of nameplate capacity across 1 generator, operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co..
Also known as EIA plant 217
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 31 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 1 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- February 1927First generator online
- Operator
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co.EIA operator ID 14328
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Fresno County, CA36.9091, −119.0877
- EIA plant ID
- 217EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Balch 1 produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
71.2 GWh
71,150 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
26.2%
2024: 51.0%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
19.3–184.4
GWh a year. Low 2015, high 2023
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 130,303 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 77,005 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 85,590 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 96,337 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 90,272 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 140,856 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 186,883 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 39,655 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 109,783 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 114,623 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 145,051 | 53.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 175,246 | 64.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 104,804 | 38.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 53,980 | 19.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 44,325 | 16.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 19,306 | 7.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 132,644 | 48.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 177,233 | 65.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 82,440 | 30.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 163,231 | 60.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 45,723 | 16.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 36,687 | 13.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 64,353 | 23.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 184,360 | 67.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 138,842 | 51.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 71,150 | 26.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free account · CAISOEmissions
Free · EPA CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSNo EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024. Plants without steam cooling, such as wind, solar and batteries, do not report cooling water.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 31.0 | February 1927 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Pacific Gas & Electric Co. as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
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Power plants near Balch 1
More plants operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Questions about Balch 1
How much power does Balch 1 produce?
Balch 1 reported 71,150 MWh (71.2 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 26.2% capacity factor on 31 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Balch 1?
Balch 1 is in Fresno County, California, at 36.9091, −119.0877. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Balch 1?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Pacific Gas & Electric Co. as the operator (EIA operator ID 14328). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Balch 1 start operating?
Its first generator began operating in February 1927, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Balch 1?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Balch 1, with the hub price and node-to-hub basis. Prices are free with an InfraMap account; pricing node names are part of InfraMap Pro.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices; node and hub assignments as of 2026-10-05
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page