174.5 MW Hydro operating in Fresno, CA — California Independent System Operator
174.5 MW
Nameplate Capacity
5
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1923
Operating Since
Coordinates
37.1485, -119.3866
County
Fresno, CA
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Southern California Edison Co | Southern California Edison | — |
| Owner(s) | Southern California Edison Co | Edison International | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Big Creek 3 is a 174.5 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Fresno County, California. The plant began operating in 1923 and utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology. It consists of 5 generators and is owned by Edison International, with Southern California Edison Co. acting as the operator. The plant's primary fuel source is water (WAT).
In the most recent year of reported data, Big Creek 3 generated 673,627 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 44.0%. The plant operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. According to available data, the installed cost per kilowatt was $545.4. Big Creek 3 is ranked as the 18th largest of 42 hydroelectric plants in California, and 110th largest of 194 nationwide.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
220 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
57.5K MWh
Latest Month
673.6K MWh
Annual Generation
44.0%
Capacity Factor
$586/kW
Installed Cost
$9.9/MWh
Operating Cost
Southern California Edison Company
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
BCRK3-1_7_B1
Pricing Hub
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
Curated node match
Last updated 2026-03-14
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