Balch 1 — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 217
- Capacity
- 31 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Fresno, CA
- Operating Since
- 1927
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
- Parent Company
- PG&E
- Annual Generation
- 138,842 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 51.0%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Balch 1
OperatingHydro
Ranked #80 of 247 Hydro plants in CA#398 of 1454 nationally
31 MW Hydro operating in Fresno, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
31 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1927
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
36.9091, -119.0877
County
Fresno, CA
Nearby Plants
- Balch 2Hydro97.2 MW · 0.0 km
- HaasHydro135 MW · 6.3 km
- Kings River PHHydro48.6 MW · 6.7 km
Ownership & Operator
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Pacific Gas and Electric Co [100%] | — |
| Owner(s) | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | PG&E | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
Balch 1 is a hydroelectric power plant located in Fresno County, California. The plant, owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), has a total capacity of 31 MW from a single generator. It commenced operations in 1927, utilizing conventional hydroelectric technology and water (WAT) as its primary fuel source. In the most recent year with available data, Balch 1 generated 138,842 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 51.0%.
The plant operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Balch 1 is ranked as the 80th largest power plant in California out of 247, and 403rd nationally out of 1464 plants. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $706.47 per kW.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
8.3K MWh
Latest Month
138.8K MWh
Annual Generation
51.0%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$708/kW
Installed Cost
$18.4/MWh
Operating Cost
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
BALCH1_7_B2
Pricing Hub
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
News & Articles (6)Beta
Hazards·wildfire
‘Garnet Fire’ containment rises, cause officially released
The Sierra National Forest Service has determined that the Garnet Fire, which has burned 16467 acres and is 0% contained, was caused by...
Sierra National Forest Service (regulator)
CBS47 and KSEE24 | News from YourCentralValley.com·6 months ago
Industry·other
Central California fishing report: New Melones kokanee and bass bites top draw
Fishing report compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno...
Fresno Bee·9 months ago
Hazards·wildfire
It’s not really the typical time for nasty California fires. What changed that?
Here's what experts say is turning Southern California's speedy wildfires into a deadly urban conflagration that is defying the calendar.
AP News·1 years ago
Hazards·wildfire
California wildfire with no containment threatens hydroelectric power facilities
The Basin Fire in Fresno County was 12000 acres on Monday morning and threatens PG&E's Balch Camp.
PG&E (operator)
SFGATE·1 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 6 articles