Ralston — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 427
- Capacity
- 79.2 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Placer, CA
- Operating Since
- 1966
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Placer County Water Agency
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 328,100 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 47.1%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Ralston
OperatingHydro
Ranked #49 of 247 Hydro plants in CA#226 of 1454 nationally
79.2 MW Hydro operating in Placer, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
79.2 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1966
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
39.0010, -120.7251
County
Placer, CA
Nearby Plants
- Oxbow (CA)Hydro6.1 MW · 1.9 km
- Norton Powerhouse 2Natural Gas4.6 MW · 1.9 km
- Middle ForkHydro122.4 MW · 11.4 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
The Ralston hydroelectric plant is located in Placer County, California. The plant has a total capacity of 79.2 MW and began operating in 1966. It is owned and operated by the Placer County Water Agency. The plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology with a single generator and its primary fuel source is water (WAT). Ralston operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
In the most recent year with available data, Ralston generated 328,100 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 47.1%. The plant is ranked 50th out of 247 power plants in California and 228th out of 1464 plants nationally. News coverage related to the plant includes 10 articles, with 5 focused on regulatory matters, 4 on industry news, and 1 on deals.
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
10.9K MWh
Latest Month
328.1K MWh
Annual Generation
47.1%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidencePoint of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Ralston
Substation Distance
1.31 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
RALSTON_2_B1
Pricing Hub
TH_NP15_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
Curated node match
News & Articles (10)Beta
Deals·other
Feds won’t cover the full $1.4B California loaned PG&E for Diablo Canyon. Its CEO thinks taxpayers should pay the rest.
Pacific Gas and Electric's leader said California taxpayers should pay for the gap between the loan the state gave the company to extend...
California (lender)PG&E (other)
POLITICO Pro·4 weeks ago
Regulatory·permitting
California’s last nuclear power plant faces renewed scrutiny as it gains latest permit
A state regulator is requiring California's last nuclear power plant to conserve 4000 acres of surrounding land to keep operating until...
California (regulator)
LAist·3 months ago
General
California's Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Secures 5-Year Extension
California's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant has secured a five-year extension, requiring PG&E to conserve 4000 acres of land.
KFI AM 640·3 months ago
Regulatory·state puc
California's Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Secures 5-Year Extension | REAL 92.3 | LA Local News
California's last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, has received state approval to continue operations for at least five more years.
Diablo Canyon (other)California (regulator)
Real 92.3·3 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles