Balch 1
Fresno County, California · EIA plant ID 217 · Operator: Pacific Gas & Electric Co
Nameplate31MWSummer 31 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation71GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor26%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1927
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), hydro units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 77 | 25.9% | — |
| 2002 | 85.6 | 28.7% | — |
| 2003 | 96.3 | 32.4% | — |
| 2004 | 90.3 | 30.2% | — |
| 2005 | 140.9 | 47.3% | — |
| 2006 | 186.9 | 62.7% | — |
| 2007 | 39.7 | 14.6% | — |
| 2008 | 109.8 | 40.3% | — |
| 2009 | 114.6 | 42.2% | — |
| 2010 | 145.1 | 53.4% | — |
| 2011 | 175.2 | 64.5% | — |
| 2012 | 104.8 | 38.5% | — |
| 2013 | 54 | 18.1% | — |
| 2014 | 44.3 | 14.9% | — |
| 2015 | 19.3 | 6.5% | — |
| 2016 | 132.6 | 44.4% | — |
| 2017 | 177.2 | 59.5% | — |
| 2018 | 82.4 | 27.7% | — |
| 2019 | 163.2 | 54.8% | — |
| 2020 | 45.7 | 15.3% | — |
| 2021 | 36.7 | 12.3% | — |
| 2022 | 64.4 | 21.6% | — |
| 2023 | 184.4 | 67.9% | — |
| 2024 | 138.8 | 51.0% | — |
| 2025 | 71.2 | 26.2% | — |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 31 | 31 | Feb 1927 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | 100.0% | 31 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Balch 2 | 97 MW | 0 km |
| Haas | 135 MW | 6.3 km |
| Kings River PH | 49 MW | 6.7 km |
| Helms Pumped Storage | 1,053 MW | 17.1 km |
| Pine Flat | 165 MW | 22.9 km |
| J S Eastwood | 200 MW | 30.5 km |