Trinity — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 451
- Capacity
- 140 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Trinity, CA
- Operating Since
- 1964
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- U S Bureau of Reclamation
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 551,428 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 45.1%
- Balancing Authority
- Balancing Authority of Northern California
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Trinity
OperatingHydro
Ranked #27 of 247 Hydro plants in CA#137 of 1454 nationally
140 MW Hydro operating in Trinity, CA — Balancing Authority of Northern California
EIAGEMWD
140 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1964
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
40.7973, -122.7626
County
Trinity, CA
Nearby Plants
- Judge F CarrHydro154.4 MW · 20.3 km
- WhiskeytownHydro3.5 MW · 29.1 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 | — |
| Owner(s) | U S Bureau of Reclamation | US Bureau of Reclamation [100%] | — |
| 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
Trinity Dam is an earthfill dam on the Trinity River located about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Weaverville, California in the United States. The dam was completed in the early 1960s as part of the federal Central Valley Project to provide irrigation water to the arid San Joaquin Valley.
Read more on WikipediaThe Trinity hydroelectric plant is located in Trinity County, California. It has a total capacity of 140 MW across two generators. The plant began operating in 1964 and is owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Trinity utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology and its primary fuel source is water (WAT).
In the most recent year with available data, Trinity generated 551,428 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 45.1%. The plant operates within the Balancing Authority of Northern California and is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Trinity ranks as the 27th largest power plant out of 42 in California, and 138th out of 194 nationally.
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
22.0K MWh
Latest Month
551.4K MWh
Annual Generation
45.1%
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
Industry·other
Nonnative Species - Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
All watercraft must be cleaned, drained, and completely dried prior to being launched at Whiskeytown, Shasta, Trinity, and Lewiston Lakes.
U.S. National Park Service (other)
NPS.gov·4 weeks ago
Industry·technology
SoCal Costco Distribution Center Locations Double Down on Large-Scale Energy Independence
Trinity Energy has completed a massive solar, battery, and EV charging project at Costco's Mira Loma and Ontario sites.
Trinity Energy (developer)Costco (buyer)
Los Angeles Times·3 months ago
Industry·other
A Mammoth Biomass Project Withers in California
Here's how NRDC and partners worked to keep a stretch of forests out of industry hands.
NRDC (other)California (other)
NRDC·6 months ago
Industry·other
Good news accompanies NM's 80th anniversary of Trinity atomic bomb test
Good news accompanies NM's 80th anniversary of Trinity atomic bomb test. Plan to relaunch MI nuclear plant with new reactors sparks more backlash.
NM (other)MI (other)
Public News Service·8 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles