World Power Plants

Drop 3 (CA)9.2 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Drop 3 (CA) is a 9.2 MW hydroelectric power plant in the United States, operated by Imperial Irrigation District since 1952. Ranked #685 of 1,469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 9.2 MW represents 0.01% of the country's total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Drop 3 739 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Cerro Prieto (570 MW, Geothermal), Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station (570 MW, Geothermal), and Yucca (425 MW, Gas). The facility is located in California, approximately 30 km north of Mexicali.

Capacity
9.2 MW
Commissioning Year
1952

74 years old

Owner
Imperial Irrigation District
Location
32.7054°, -115.1261°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 4,991. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #25,029 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #5,666 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

74 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Imperial Irrigation District operates 12 plants totalling 758 MW

Regional density

81 plants within 100 km, 9,177 MW combined

Nearest plant: Drop 4 (8.7 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 32.705400, -115.126100
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Drop 3 (CA) is a hydro power plant producing approximately 32 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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