Lower Baker — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3855
- Capacity
- 103.9 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Skagit, WA
- Operating Since
- 1960
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- Puget Sound Energy Inc
- Parent Company
- PUGET HOLDINGS
- Annual Generation
- 326,697 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 35.9%
- Balancing Authority
- Puget Sound Energy
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Lower Baker
OperatingHydro
Ranked #23 of 75 Hydro plants in WA#181 of 1454 nationally
103.9 MW Hydro operating in Skagit, WA — Puget Sound Energy
EIAGEMWD
103.9 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1960
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
48.5478, -121.7407
County
Skagit, WA
Nearby Plants
- Upper BakerHydro104.8 MW · 11.8 km
- Koma KulshanHydro12 MW · 14.8 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Puget Sound Energy Inc | Puget Sound Energy | — |
| Owner(s) | Puget Sound Energy Inc | PUGET HOLDINGS | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
Lower Baker Dam is a dam across the Baker River one mile north of Concrete, Washington. It forms a reservoir called Lake Shannon which stretches 7.5 miles (12.1 km) upstream. The dam is operated by Puget Sound Energy as part of the Baker River Hydroelectric Project.
Read more on WikipediaLower Baker is a hydroelectric power plant located in Skagit County, Washington. The plant has a total capacity of 103.9 MW across two generators. It began operating in 1960 and is owned by PUGET HOLDINGS and operated by Puget Sound Energy Inc. The primary fuel source is water (WAT). Lower Baker ranks 23rd out of 23 power plants in Washington and 181st out of 194 nationally.
In the most recent year with available data, Lower Baker generated 326,697 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 35.9%. The plant operates within the Puget Sound Energy balancing authority and the WECC NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $2321.63 per kW.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Puget Sound Energy
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
41.0K MWh
Latest Month
326.7K MWh
Annual Generation
35.9%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$2,368/kW
Installed Cost
$18.7/MWh
Operating Cost
Puget Sound Energy, Inc.
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (9)Beta
Industry·corporate
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe celebrates huge rebound of Baker River sockeye
The Baker River salmon run reached a historic milestone this year due to efforts from the tribe, state wildlife officials and the...
KNKX·5 months ago
Industry·corporate
Baker River sockeye storm back in record run — overcoming 2 dams
As other salmon runs edge toward extinction, including Lake Washington sockeye, the Baker River is beckoning in a record run this summer.
The Seattle Times·7 months ago
Industry·partnership
Puget Sound Energy-led partnership powers historic salmon comeback in Washington’s Baker River
The nearly extinct Baker River Sockeye run in the North Cascades through decades of investment, science-driven innovation, and tribal and state collaboration.
Puget Sound Energy (operator)
Daily Energy Insider·8 months ago
Grid·outage
PSE investigates false alarm at Baker River Dam
The evacuation message that roared from the Baker River Dam's warning system was a false alarm, Puget Sound Energy confirmed.
Puget Sound Energy (operator)
MyNorthwest.com·10 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 9 articles