World Power Plants

Alta Powerhouse1 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Alta Powerhouse is a 1 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. since 1902. Ranked #1429 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 1 MW represents 0.0008% of the total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW in the country. The largest hydro plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Alta Powerhouse 6,809 times smaller. Nearby plants include Colgate (315 MW, Hydro), Jaybird (161.6 MW, Hydro), and Camino (157.8 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in California, approximately 60 km from Reno.

Capacity
1 MW
Commissioning Year
1902

124 years old

Owner
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Location
39.2160°, -120.8036°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 9,554. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #37,569 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #8,086 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

124 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. operates 81 plants totalling 7,669 MW

Regional density

119 plants within 100 km, 5,632 MW combined

Nearest plant: Dutch Flat 2 (2.7 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 39.216000, -120.803600
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Alta Powerhouse is a hydro power plant producing approximately 4 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
United States of America
Continent
North America
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

United States of AmericaEnergy Profile

10,098
Total Plants
1420.7 GW
Total Capacity
GasCoalNuclearWind
Top Fuels

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