Middle Fork — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 425
- Capacity
- 122.4 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Placer, CA
- Operating Since
- 1966
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- Placer County Water Agency
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 423,606 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 39.7%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Middle Fork
OperatingHydro
Ranked #32 of 247 Hydro plants in CA#157 of 1454 nationally
122.4 MW Hydro operating in Placer, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
122.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1966
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
39.0248, -120.5964
County
Placer, CA
Nearby Plants
- RalstonHydro79.2 MW · 11.4 km
- Norton Powerhouse 2Natural Gas4.6 MW · 13.1 km
- Oxbow (CA)Hydro6.1 MW · 13.2 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Placer County Water Agency | Placer County Water Agency | — |
| Owner(s) | Placer County Water Agency | Placer County Water Agency [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as Placer County Water Agency [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Middle Fork is a hydroelectric power plant located in Placer County, California. The plant has a total capacity of 122.4 MW and is operated by the Placer County Water Agency. Commissioned in 1966, the facility utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology and consists of two generators. Middle Fork is interconnected to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) region.
In the most recent year of available data, Middle Fork generated 423,606 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 39.7%. The plant is fueled by water (WAT) and ranks 32nd out of 42 power plants in California and 157th out of 194 nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
230 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Political Subdivision
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
42.3K MWh
Latest Month
423.6K MWh
Annual Generation
39.7%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2023 – Dec 2025
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
MDFKRL_2_PROJCT-APND
Pricing Hub
TH_NP15_GEN-APND
Location Type
Aggregated Node
Node Source
Curated node match
News & Articles (10)Beta
Industry·corporate
PCWA Adopts 2026 Budget
Construction continues on a new $35.5 million plant, capable of processing 2 million gallons daily. Photo courtesy of PCWA. AUBURN, CA (MPG)...
PCWA (operator)
The Placer Sentinel·4 months ago
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Backpacker Magazine·8 months ago
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California Department of Water Resources (.gov)·12 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
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