Black Butte
Hydro power plant in Tehama County, California. 6.1 MW of nameplate capacity across 1 generator, operated by City of Santa Clara - (CA).
Also known as Black Butte Power Plant · EIA plant 7229
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 6.1 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 1 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- September 1988First generator online
- Operator
- City of Santa Clara - (CA)EIA operator ID 16655
- Grid
- CAISOBalancing authority CISO
- Price nodes
- 1 CAISO nodeResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Tehama County, CA39.8149, −122.3323
- EIA plant ID
- 7229EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Black Butte produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
8.98 GWh
8,976 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
16.8%
2024: 27.9%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
1.9–20.2
GWh a year. Low 2021, high 2023
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 11,478 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 19,966 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 14,932 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 13,462 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 23,735 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 22,086 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 7,986 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 12,544 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 5,473 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 18,656 | 34.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 13,806 | 25.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 10,054 | 18.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 7,525 | 14.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 4,845 | 9.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 5,135 | 9.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 9,463 | 17.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 17,818 | 33.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 4,339 | 8.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 18,065 | 33.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 4,479 | 8.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 1,949 | 3.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 5,027 | 9.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 20,217 | 37.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 14,947 | 27.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 8,976 | 16.8% | 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 | 6.1 | September 1988 |
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 City of Santa Clara - (CA) 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 Black Butte
More plants operated by City of Santa Clara - (CA)
Questions about Black Butte
How much power does Black Butte produce?
Black Butte reported 8,976 MWh (8.98 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 16.8% capacity factor on 6.1 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Black Butte?
Black Butte is in Tehama County, California, at 39.8149, −122.3323. It is in the California Independent System Operator balancing area (CISO).
Who operates Black Butte?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists City of Santa Clara - (CA) as the operator (EIA operator ID 16655). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Black Butte start operating?
Its first generator began operating in September 1988, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Black Butte?
Yes. InfraMap has CAISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Black Butte, 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