Grand Coulee — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 6163
- Capacity
- 6809 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric, Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Grant, WA
- Operating Since
- 1941
- Generators
- 33
- Operator
- U S Bureau of Reclamation
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 16,151,147 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 27.0%
- Balancing Authority
- Bonneville Power Administration
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Grand Coulee
OperatingHydroHybrid
Ranked #1 of 75 Hydro plants in WA#1 of 1454 nationally
6809 MW Conventional Hydroelectric (6495 MW) + Hydroelectric Pumped Storage (314 MW) operating in Grant, WA — Bonneville Power Administration
EIAGEMWD
6,809 MW
Nameplate Capacity
33
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Conventional Hydroelectric + Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
1941
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
47.9575, -118.9773
County
Grant, WA
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
Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water. Constructed between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee originally had two powerhouses. The third powerhouse ("Nat"), completed in 1974 to increase energy production, makes Grand Coulee the largest power station in the United States by nameplate capacity at 6,809 MW.
Read more on WikipediaThe Grand Coulee hydroelectric plant is located in Grant County, Washington. With a total capacity of 6809 MW across 33 generators, it is the largest power plant in Washington state and the largest in the United States. The plant, which began operating in 1941, is owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It utilizes water as its primary fuel source and employs both conventional hydroelectric and hydroelectric pumped storage technologies, classifying it as a hybrid plant.
In the most recent year with available data, the Grand Coulee plant generated 16,151,147 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 27.0%. The plant operates within the Bonneville Power Administration balancing authority and 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
Bonneville Power Administration
Grid Voltage
525 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
1.7M MWh
Net Discharge
16.2M MWh
Annual Net Energy
27.0%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2023 – Dec 2025
Positive values indicate net discharge (generation exceeds station load). Negative values indicate net charging. Pure battery storage plants are typically net negative due to round-trip efficiency losses.
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
Northwest’s only nuclear power plant shut down after problem detected
The Columbia Generating Station north of Richland is the third largest electricity generator in Washington state, behind the Grand Coulee...
The Seattle Times·4 weeks ago
General
Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant back online. What happened?
Richland, Wash. The Pacific Northwest's only commercial nuclear power plant was reconnected to the electric grid Tuesday afternoon and by 8...
Tri-City Herald·4 weeks ago
Regulatory·federal policy
Trump’s Energy Secretary Orders a Washington State Coal Plant to Remain Open
SEATTLE—The last coal-fired power plant in Washington state was set to go cold at the end of the year. It would then switch to natural gas,...
Inside Climate News·3 months ago
Industry·other
It’s “the Great Wall of Water Power” — How to turn water into 21 bn kWh to power America
Grand Coulee Dam generates 21 billion kWh annually from Columbia River water, powering 11 states with 6809 megawatts of clean hydroelectric...
Energies Media·3 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles