World Power Plants

Potter Valley is a 9.4 MW hydroelectric power plant in the United States, operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and commissioned in 1925. Ranked #681 of 1,469 hydro plants in the United States, Potter Valley's 9.4 MW accounts for 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 Potter Valley 724 times smaller. Nearby plants include Lake Mendocino (3.5 MW, Hydro). The facility is situated in California, approximately 150 km from San Francisco.

Capacity
9.4 MW
Commissioning Year
1925

101 years old

Owner
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Location
39.3618°, -123.1279°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 4,979. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #24,952 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #5,645 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

101 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

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

Regional density

21 plants within 100 km, 2,493 MW combined

Nearest plant: Lake Mendocino (19 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 39.361800, -123.127900
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Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Potter Valley is a hydro power plant producing approximately 33 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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