139.5 MW Hydro operating in Fresno, CA — California Independent System Operator
139.5 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1983
Operating Since
Coordinates
37.0718, -119.5580
County
Fresno, CA
Nearby Plants
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 | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Pacific Gas and Electric | — |
| Owner(s) | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | PG&E | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Kerckhoff Dam is a concrete arch dam on the San Joaquin River in Fresno County, California, about 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Big Creek. The 114 ft (35 m) tall dam is a run-of-the-river facility impounding 4,252 acre⋅ft (5,245,000 m3) of water and is the primary feature of Pacific Gas and Electric's Kerckhoff hydroelectric project. The dam and its 160-acre (65 ha) reservoir provide water for the Kerckhoff Powerhouses No. 1 and No. 2. Powerhouse No. 1 has three Francis turbines producing a maximum of 38 megawatts (MW) and Powerhouse No. 2 has a single Francis turbine rated at 155 MW for a total project capacity of 193 MW. An annual 579.1 million KWh of electricity are generated here.
Read more on WikipediaKerckhoff 2 is a hydroelectric power plant located in Fresno County, California. The plant has a total capacity of 139.5 MW and began operating in 1983. It is owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E). The plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology with a single generator and its primary fuel source is water (WAT). Kerckhoff 2 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, Kerckhoff 2 generated 418,557 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 34.3%. According to available data, the installed cost of the plant was $1,418.32 per kW. Kerckhoff 2 is ranked as the 28th largest power plant out of 42 in California, and 139th out of 194 nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
32.1K MWh
Latest Month
418.6K MWh
Annual Generation
34.3%
Capacity Factor
$1,457/kW
Installed Cost
$7.2/MWh
Operating Cost
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
KERCKHOF_7_B1
Pricing Hub
TH_NP15_GEN-APND
Secondary Zone
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
PG&E warns of dam water release above Millerton this weekend
MILLERTON LAKE, Calif. (KSEE) — PG&E plans to release a huge amount of water from Kerckhoff Dam this Sunday, which is above Millerton Lake.
PG&E warns of dam water release above Millerton this weekend
MILLERTON LAKE, Calif. (KSEE) — PG&E plans to release a huge amount of water from Kerckhoff Dam this Sunday, which is above Millerton Lake.
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all articles