World Power Plants

Control Gorge37.5 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Control Gorge is a 37.5 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power since 1952. Ranked #374 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 37.5 MW represents 0.03% of the United States' total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Control Gorge 181 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Helms Pumped Storage (1053 MW, Hydro), Middle Gorge (37.5 MW, Hydro), and Upper Gorge (37.5 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in California, approximately 350 km north of Los Angeles.

Capacity
37.5 MW
Commissioning Year
1952

74 years old

Owner
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Location
37.4379°, -118.5570°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 3,290. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #15,573 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #3,579 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

74 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power operates 33 plants totalling 8,271 MW

Regional density

36 plants within 100 km, 3,045 MW combined

Nearest plant: Pleasant Valley Hydro (3.9 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 37.437900, -118.557000
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Control Gorge is a hydro power plant producing approximately 131 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

See Incorrect or Missing Data?

Help us improve our database by reporting any corrections or updates. Your contribution helps keep our global power plant data accurate and up-to-date.