Upper Baker — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3861
- Capacity
- 104.8 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Whatcom, WA
- Operating Since
- 1959
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- Puget Sound Energy Inc
- Parent Company
- PUGET HOLDINGS
- Annual Generation
- 317,831 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 34.5%
- Balancing Authority
- Puget Sound Energy
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Upper Baker
OperatingHydro
Ranked #22 of 75 Hydro plants in WA#178 of 1454 nationally
104.8 MW Hydro operating in Whatcom, WA — Puget Sound Energy
EIAGEMWD
104.8 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1959
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
48.6490, -121.6907
County
Whatcom, WA
Nearby Plants
- Koma KulshanHydro12 MW · 4.2 km
- Lower BakerHydro103.9 MW · 11.8 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
Upper Baker Dam is a dam spanning the Baker River in northern Washington in the United States of America. It is one of two dams on the river, the other one being the Lower Baker Dam a few miles downstream. The dam is used to generate hydroelectricity and provide flood control.
Read more on WikipediaLocated in Whatcom County, Washington, the Upper Baker hydroelectric plant has a total capacity of 104.8 MW. The plant began operating in 1959 and utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology with water as its primary fuel source. It consists of two generators. Puget Sound Energy Inc. operates the facility, which is owned by PUGET HOLDINGS. The plant's balancing authority is Puget Sound Energy, and it operates within the WECC NERC region.
In the most recent year of reported data, Upper Baker generated 317,831 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 34.5%. The plant's installed cost was $1,563.55 per kW. Upper Baker ranks as the 22nd largest power plant out of 23 in Washington state, and 178th out of 194 nationally. Financial data for the plant is available from FERC filings.
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
32.8K MWh
Latest Month
317.8K MWh
Annual Generation
34.5%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$2,126/kW
Installed Cost
$14.9/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 (10)Beta
Hazards·flooding
Army takeover of Skagit dams lowers flood waters
The Army Corps of Engineers was able to reduce flooding on the Skagit River with emergency operations of two hydropower dams upstream.
Army Corps of Engineers (other)
KUOW·3 months ago
Hazards·flooding
King County executive issues emergency order as flooding forces evacuations, rescues
Residents near the Snohomish and Skagit rivers are facing the brunt of potentially "catastrophic" floods. See the latest weather forecasts,...
The Seattle Times·3 months ago
General
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·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
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles