Butt Valley — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 221
- Capacity
- 40 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Plumas, CA
- Operating Since
- 1958
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 149,328 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 42.4%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Butt Valley
OperatingHydro
Ranked #72 of 247 Hydro plants in CA#345 of 1454 nationally
40 MW Hydro operating in Plumas, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAWD
40 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1958
Operating Since
Location
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | — | — |
| Owner(s) | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | — | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
No GEM tracker match for this plant — ownership chain unavailable.
About
Butt Valley is a 40 MW conventional hydroelectric power plant located in Plumas County, California. The plant, which began operating in 1958, has one generator and is owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. It is located within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Butt Valley is ranked 72nd out of 247 power plants in California and 348th out of 1464 nationally.
In the most recent year with available data, Butt Valley generated 149,328 MWh of electricity, resulting in a capacity factor of 42.4%. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $2,121.03 per kW. The plant's operations and related industry news have been the subject of 6 news articles.
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
17.1K MWh
Latest Month
149.3K MWh
Annual Generation
42.4%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$2,210/kW
Installed Cost
$17.5/MWh
Operating Cost
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidencePoint of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Butt Valley
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
BUTTVLLY_7_B1
Pricing Hub
TH_NP15_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
News & Articles (10)Beta
General
California officials block sprawling luxury development over wildfire concerns
The project is proposed for a 16000-acre property that has been significantly harmed by wildfires.
SFGATE·1 years ago
Industry·corporate
Poilievre focuses on taxes, cost of living during Labrador visit
The Conservative leader stopped in Labrador City and Happy Valley-Goose Bay during his two-day trip.
CBC·2 years ago
General
PG&E, the Mountain Maidu, and a Very Powerful River
In the spring of 2021, a crew of nine workers arrived at Tásmam Koyóm, at the headwaters of Northern California's Feather River.
Sierra Club·4 years ago
General
Copper Valley Electric Ass'n considers nuclear power plant
Glennallen-based Copper Valley Electric Association is studying the feasibility of using a new type of small nuclear reactor to help...
KUAC·4 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles