Cottonwood
Hydro power plant in Inyo County, California. 1.6 MW of nameplate capacity across 2 generators, operated by Los Angeles Department of Water & Power.
Also known as Cottonwood Creek Power Plant · EIA plant 394
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 1.6 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 2 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- November 1908First generator online
- Operator
- Los Angeles Department of Water & PowerEIA operator ID 11208
- Grid
- LDWPBalancing authority LDWP
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Inyo County, CA36.4434, −118.0439
- EIA plant ID
- 394EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Cottonwood produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
3.39 GWh
3,385 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
24.2%
2024: 15.3%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
0.2–4.2
GWh a year. Low 2020, high 2017
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6,282 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 7,130 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 3,796 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 5,767 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 6,300 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 8,327 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 6,969 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 2,900 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 8,493 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 7,972 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 12,286 | 58.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 11,481 | 54.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 3,217 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 532 | 3.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 1,563 | 11.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 1,097 | 7.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 1,613 | 11.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 4,159 | 29.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 2,775 | 19.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 1,028 | 7.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 195 | 1.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 877 | 6.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 1,061 | 7.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 1,288 | 9.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 2,149 | 15.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 3,385 | 24.2% | 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 accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
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 | 0.8 | November 1908 |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 0.8 | October 1909 |
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 Los Angeles Department of Water & Power 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 Cottonwood
More plants operated by Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Questions about Cottonwood
How much power does Cottonwood produce?
Cottonwood reported 3,385 MWh (3.39 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 24.2% capacity factor on 1.6 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Cottonwood?
Cottonwood is in Inyo County, California, at 36.4434, −118.0439. It is in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power balancing area (LDWP).
Who operates Cottonwood?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Los Angeles Department of Water & Power as the operator (EIA operator ID 11208). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Cottonwood start operating?
Its first generator began operating in November 1908, according to EIA-860M.
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)
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page