American Falls — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 809
- Capacity
- 92.4 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Power, ID
- Operating Since
- 1978
- Generators
- 3
- Operator
- Idaho Power Co
- Parent Company
- IDACORP
- Annual Generation
- 242,769 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 29.8%
- Balancing Authority
- Idaho Power Company
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
American Falls
OperatingHydro
Ranked #6 of 76 Hydro plants in ID#203 of 1454 nationally
92.4 MW Hydro operating in Power, ID — Idaho Power Company
EIAGEMWD
92.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1978
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
42.7778, -112.8764
County
Power, ID
Nearby Plants
- Rockland Wind FarmWind79.2 MW · 10.6 km
- Power County Wind Park NorthWind22.5 MW · 10.9 km
- American Falls SolarSolar20 MW · 11.4 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Idaho Power Co | Idaho Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Idaho Power Co | IDACORP | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The American Falls Dam is a concrete gravity-type dam in the western United States, located near American Falls, Idaho, on river mile 714.7 of the Snake River. The dam and reservoir are a part of the Minidoka Project on the Snake River Plain and are used primarily for flood control, irrigation, and recreation. When the original dam was built in the 1920s by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the residents of American Falls were forced to relocate three-quarters of their town to make room for the reservoir.
Read more on WikipediaThe American Falls hydroelectric plant is located in Power County, Idaho. The plant has a total capacity of 92.4 MW across three generators, and it began operating in 1978. The primary fuel source is water (WAT), and the plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology. The owner and operator is Idaho Power Co, a subsidiary of IDACORP. American Falls ranks as the 6th largest of 76 power plants in Idaho, and 205th out of 1464 plants nationally.
In the most recent year with available data, American Falls generated 242,769 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 29.8%. The plant operates within the Idaho Power Company balancing authority, and is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $556.77 per kW. The plant's operations have been mentioned in four news articles, covering topics such as hazards, regulatory matters, and grid issues.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Idaho Power Company
Grid Voltage
138 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
0 MWh
Latest Month
242.8K MWh
Annual Generation
29.8%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$663/kW
Installed Cost
$8.0/MWh
Operating Cost
Idaho Power Company
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
Market Position
LMP Node
AFPR_1_TOT_GEN-APND
Pricing Hub
—
News & Articles (10)Beta
Regulatory·permitting
Idaho Power Company; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, and Approving Use of the Traditional Licensing Process
Federal Register (FERC)·3 days ago
General
David Winder Obituary (2026) - American Falls, ID - Davis-Rose Mortuary - American Falls
David Winder Obituary David L. Winder, 54, was called home by God's grace and loving mercy to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on...
Legacy | Obituary·3 weeks ago
General
2 hospitalized in head-on collision near American Falls
AMERICAN FALLS – Two people were hospitalized in a two-vehicle head-on collision Monday night. It happened around 7:30 p.m. in Power County...
AOL.com·4 weeks ago
General
Solar power generation drives electricity generation growth over the next two years
Electricity generation by the U.S. electric power sector totaled about 4,260 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) in 2025. In our latest Short-Term...
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (.gov)·2 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-25
View all 10 articles