World Power Plants

Cottonwood1.6 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Cottonwood is a 1.6 MW hydroelectric power plant in the United States, operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power since 1908. Ranked #1274 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 1.6 MW accounts for 0.0014% of the United States' total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Cottonwood 0.0002 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Coso Finance Partners (92.2 MW, Geothermal), Coso Energy Developers (90 MW, Geothermal), and Coso Power Developers (90 MW, Geothermal). The facility is located in California, approximately 160 km northeast of Los Angeles.

Capacity
1.6 MW
Commissioning Year
1908

118 years old

Owner
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Location
36.4434°, -118.0439°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 8,705. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #35,483 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #7,684 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

118 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

21 plants within 100 km, 463 MW combined

Nearest plant: Owens Valley Solar Project 11 (18.9 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 36.443400, -118.043900
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Cottonwood is a hydro power plant producing approximately 6 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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