Thermalito
Pumped storage and hydro power plant in Butte County, California. 115.1 MW of nameplate capacity across 4 generators, operated by California Dept. of Water Resources.
Also known as Thermalito Forebay · EIA plant 438
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 115.1 MWPumped storage 82.5 · Hydro 32.6
- Generators
- 4 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- February 1968First generator online
- Operator
- California Dept. of Water ResourcesEIA operator ID 3255
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Butte County, CA39.5149, −121.6301
- EIA plant ID
- 438EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Thermalito produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
322 GWh
322,349 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
Not reported
2024: Not reported
January to July 2026
188 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2021 to 2025
80.8–338.3
GWh a year. Low 2021, high 2024
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 307,115 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 92,800 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2002 | 172,349 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 226,675 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 389,078 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 247,006 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 362,432 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 249,879 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 153,378 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 174,264 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 175,481 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 255,424 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 187,800 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 0 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 0 | Not reported | 8 of 12 |
| 2015 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2016 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2017 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2018 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2019 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2020 | 48,089 | Not reported | 4 of 12 |
| 2021 | 80,809 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 156,069 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 294,269 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 338,263 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 322,349 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 188,214 | Not reported | 7 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 | 32.6 | November 1968 |
| 2 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 27.5 | July 1968 |
| 3 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 27.5 | July 1968 |
| 4 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 27.5 | February 1968 |
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 California Dept. of Water Resources 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 Thermalito
More plants operated by California Dept. of Water Resources
Questions about Thermalito
How much power does Thermalito produce?
Thermalito reported 322,349 MWh (322 GWh) of net generation in 2025. From January to July 2026 it reported 188 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Thermalito?
Thermalito is in Butte County, California, at 39.5149, −121.6301. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Thermalito?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists California Dept. of Water Resources as the operator (EIA operator ID 3255). The operator is not always the owner.
Is Thermalito a pumped storage or a hydro plant?
Both. Pumped storage capacity totals 82.5 MW and hydro capacity totals 32.6 MW.
When did Thermalito start operating?
Its first generator began operating in February 1968, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Thermalito?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Thermalito, 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
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page