Helms Pumped Storage
Pumped storage power plant in Fresno County, California. 1,053 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co..
Also known as Helms Pumped Storage Plant · EIA plant 6100
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 1,053 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- June 1984First generator online
- Operator
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co.EIA operator ID 14328
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 3 CAISO nodesResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Fresno County, CA37.0293, −118.9683
- EIA plant ID
- 6100EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Helms Pumped Storage produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
−467 GWh
−467,243 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
Not reported
2024: Not reported
January to July 2026
−399 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
−498.6–−107.1
GWh a year. Low 2016, high 2024
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | −387,204 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | −450,640 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | −443,650 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | −376,550 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | −265,979 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | −89,046 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | −359,910 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | −286,510 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | −227,328 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | −235,417 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | −297,961 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | −353,906 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | −149,997 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | −308,524 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | −209,450 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | −250,413 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | −498,562 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | −290,220 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | −412,780 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | −298,392 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | −354,509 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | −427,878 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | −299,215 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | −359,320 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | −107,126 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | −467,243 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | −399,000 | 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 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 351.0 | June 1984 |
| 2 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 351.0 | June 1984 |
| 3 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 351.0 | June 1984 |
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 Helms Pumped Storage
More plants operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Questions about Helms Pumped Storage
How much power does Helms Pumped Storage produce?
Helms Pumped Storage reported −467,243 MWh (−467 GWh) of net generation in 2025. From January to July 2026 it reported −399 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Helms Pumped Storage?
Helms Pumped Storage is in Fresno County, California, at 37.0293, −118.9683. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Helms Pumped Storage?
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 Helms Pumped Storage start operating?
Its first generator began operating in June 1984, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Helms Pumped Storage?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 3 price nodes linked to Helms Pumped Storage, 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