Balch 2
Fresno County, California · EIA plant ID 218 · Operator: Pacific Gas & Electric Co
Nameplate97MWSummer 105 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation342GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor37%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1958
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 | 301.9 | 32.8% | — |
| 2002 | 430.4 | 46.8% | — |
| 2003 | 407.5 | 44.3% | — |
| 2004 | 368.4 | 39.9% | — |
| 2005 | 624.7 | 67.9% | — |
| 2006 | 636.6 | 69.2% | — |
| 2007 | 235.5 | 25.1% | — |
| 2008 | 371 | 39.5% | — |
| 2009 | 459.2 | 49.0% | — |
| 2010 | 557.5 | 59.5% | — |
| 2011 | 570 | 60.8% | — |
| 2012 | 278.9 | 29.7% | — |
| 2013 | 194.3 | 21.1% | — |
| 2014 | 159 | 17.3% | — |
| 2015 | 51.6 | 5.6% | — |
| 2016 | 331.9 | 36.0% | — |
| 2017 | 549.6 | 59.8% | — |
| 2018 | 403.5 | 43.9% | — |
| 2019 | 581.2 | 63.2% | — |
| 2020 | 251.8 | 27.3% | — |
| 2021 | 120.5 | 13.1% | — |
| 2022 | 226.6 | 24.6% | — |
| 2023 | 489.7 | 53.2% | — |
| 2024 | 443.4 | 48.1% | — |
| 2025 | 342.3 | 37.2% | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 48.6 | 52.5 | Nov 1958 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 48.6 | 52.5 | Dec 1958 | 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% | 97 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Balch 1 | 31 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 |