Priest Rapids — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3887
- Capacity
- 950 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Grant, WA
- Operating Since
- 1959
- Generators
- 10
- Operator
- PUD No 2 of Grant County
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 4,164,860 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 50.0%
- Balancing Authority
- Bonneville Power Administration
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Priest Rapids
OperatingHydro
Ranked #6 of 75 Hydro plants in WA#25 of 1454 nationally
950 MW Hydro operating in Grant, WA — Bonneville Power Administration
EIAGEMWD
950 MW
Nameplate Capacity
10
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1959
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
46.6451, -119.9080
County
Grant, WA
Nearby Plants
- Ostrea Solar, LLCSolar80 MW · 14.0 km
- High Top SolarSolar80 MW · 14.1 km
- WanapumHydro1220 MW · 25.8 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 | PUD No 2 of Grant County | Grant County Public Utility District | — |
| Owner(s) | PUD No 2 of Grant County | Grant County Public Utility District [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as Grant County Public Utility District [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Priest Rapids Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam; located on the Columbia River, between the Yakima Firing Range and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and bridges Yakima County and Grant County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The dam is 24 miles south of the town of Vantage, and 47 miles northwest of the city of Richland. It is located at mile marker 397.1 from the mouth of the Columbia. It is owned by the Grant County Public Utility District (PUD). Priest Rapids, for which the dam was named, are now submerged beneath the dam's reservoir.
Read more on WikipediaPriest Rapids is a 950 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Grant County, Washington. The plant began operating in 1959 and utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology. It consists of 10 generators and is owned and operated by PUD No 2 of Grant County. The primary fuel source for electricity generation is water (WAT).
In the most recent year of available data, Priest Rapids generated 4,164,860 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 50.0%. The plant is connected to the grid within the Bonneville Power Administration balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Priest Rapids ranks as the 6th largest power plant out of 23 in Washington state, and 25th out of 194 hydroelectric plants nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Bonneville Power Administration
Grid Voltage
230 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Political Subdivision
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
504.6K MWh
Latest Month
4.2M MWh
Annual Generation
50.0%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2023 – Dec 2025
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (10)Beta
Deals·ppa
Grant PUD commissioners approve 20-year solar power production contract
EPHRATA — A solar power project that received a construction permit in 2020 is projected to be producing electricity by late 2027.
Grant PUD (buyer)
Columbia Basin Herald·11 months ago
Regulatory·state puc
Washington Is Giving Tax Breaks to Data Centers That Threaten the State’s Green Energy Push
Washington adopted legislation requiring electric utilities to go carbon-neutral in a decade. Yet lawmakers continued to promote the growth of energy-guzzling...
Washington (regulator)
ProPublica·1 years ago
Industry·other
Vernita (U.S. National Park Service)
Article written by James Schroeder Few signs remain of the former community of Vernita. Located in northern Benton County with the Priest...
U.S. National Park Service (other)James Schroeder (other)
NPS.gov·2 years ago
Industry·other
More nuclear energy could be coming to Central Washington, as Grant County explores small-scale
Washington's Grant County is exploring nuclear generation in an effort to generate more carbon-free electricity. The county's Public Utility...
Grant County (other)Grant County Public Utility (operator)
KUOW·4 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles