Kern River 3
Hydro power plant in Kern County, California. 40.3 MW of nameplate capacity across 2 generators, operated by Southern California Edison Co.
Also known as EIA plant 339
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 40.3 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 2 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- March 1921First generator online
- Operator
- Southern California Edison CoEIA operator ID 17609
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Kern County, CA35.7762, −118.4362
- EIA plant ID
- 339EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Kern River 3 produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
143 GWh
142,601 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
40.4%
2024: 40.3%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
35.2–216.9
GWh a year. Low 2015, high 2017
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 136,726 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 103,615 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 117,318 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 127,459 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 47,717 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 121,681 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 178,823 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 47,774 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 69,423 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 117,767 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 92,480 | 26.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 174,822 | 49.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 102,303 | 29.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 72,381 | 20.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 368 | 0.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 35,152 | 10.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 117,487 | 33.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 216,904 | 61.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 120,120 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 211,527 | 59.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 100,913 | 28.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 44,110 | 12.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 76,349 | 21.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 184,529 | 52.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 142,766 | 40.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 142,601 | 40.4% | 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 | 20.5 | May 1921 |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 19.8 | March 1921 |
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 Southern California Edison 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 Kern River 3
More plants operated by Southern California Edison Co
Questions about Kern River 3
How much power does Kern River 3 produce?
Kern River 3 reported 142,601 MWh (143 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 40.4% capacity factor on 40.3 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Kern River 3?
Kern River 3 is in Kern County, California, at 35.7762, −118.4362. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Kern River 3?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Southern California Edison Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 17609). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Kern River 3 start operating?
Its first generator began operating in March 1921, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Kern River 3?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Kern River 3, 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