Folsom — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 441
- Capacity
- 198.6 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Sacramento, CA
- Operating Since
- 1955
- Generators
- 3
- Operator
- U S Bureau of Reclamation
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 503,446 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 29.0%
- Balancing Authority
- Balancing Authority of Northern California
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Folsom
OperatingHydro
Ranked #14 of 247 Hydro plants in CA#96 of 1454 nationally
198.6 MW Hydro operating in Sacramento, CA — Balancing Authority of Northern California
EIAGEMWD
198.6 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1955
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
38.7067, -121.1584
County
Sacramento, CA
Nearby Plants
- Folsom SP and CSP SacramentoSolar1.3 MW · 2.2 km
- Intel Folsom Phase 3Solar5.2 MW · 6.8 km
- Intel FolsomSolar1 MW · 7.0 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 | U S Bureau of Reclamation | US Bureau of Reclamation | United States Bureau of Reclamation |
| Owner(s) | U S Bureau of Reclamation | US Bureau of Reclamation [100%] | United States Bureau of Reclamation |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as US Bureau of Reclamation [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Folsom Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the American River of Northern California in the United States, about 25 mi (40 km) northeast of Sacramento. The dam is 340 ft (100 m) high and 1,400 ft (430 m) long, flanked by earthen wing dams. It was completed in 1955, and officially opened the following year.
Read more on WikipediaFolsom is a 198.6 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Sacramento County, California. The plant began operating in 1955 and is owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It utilizes three generators with conventional hydroelectric technology and its primary fuel source is water (WAT). Folsom is the 14th largest of 42 hydroelectric plants in California, and ranks 96th out of 194 nationally.
The plant's latest annual generation was 503,446 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 29.0%. Folsom operates within the Balancing Authority of Northern California and is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Balancing Authority of Northern California
Grid Voltage
230 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
39.3K MWh
Latest Month
503.4K MWh
Annual Generation
29.0%
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
General
At California's Folsom Lake, a stark image of state's drought disaster
Folsom Lake, one of California's largest reservoirs, is crucial to providing water to the state's 40 million-plus residents.
ABC News·4 weeks ago
Industry·technology
Let there be light: Historic Folsom Powerhouse turns 130
The facility near Downtown Folsom became one of the first examples of large-scale hydropower when workers flipped the switch in 1895.
Folsom Powerhouse (operator)Folsom (other)
capradio.org·6 months ago
General
California quarantines boats in 2 lakes to protect fisheries, water supply from invasive mussel
Boats and other marine vessels entering two California lakes will now be quarantined for 30 days to help prevent the spread of an invasive...
FOX Weather·11 months ago
General
Golden Mussel Prevention ProgramMandatory Decontamination, Quarantine and Inspection
All boats wishing to launch into Folsom Lake or Lake Clementine are required to go through a mandatory 30-day quarantine.
California State Parks (.gov)·11 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles