James B Black
Shasta County, California · EIA plant ID 249 · Operator: Pacific Gas & Electric Co
Nameplate169MWSummer 172 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation510GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor34%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1965
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
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 | 611.7 | 40.6% | — |
| 2002 | 629.8 | 41.8% | — |
| 2003 | 717.9 | 47.6% | — |
| 2004 | 690.8 | 45.7% | — |
| 2005 | 704.3 | 46.7% | — |
| 2006 | 793 | 52.6% | — |
| 2007 | 633.3 | 43.8% | — |
| 2008 | 461.6 | 31.9% | — |
| 2009 | 578.2 | 40.0% | — |
| 2010 | 714.5 | 49.4% | — |
| 2011 | 735.6 | 50.9% | — |
| 2012 | 626.6 | 43.2% | — |
| 2013 | 535 | 35.5% | — |
| 2014 | 434.2 | 28.8% | — |
| 2015 | 398.1 | 26.4% | — |
| 2016 | 587.3 | 38.9% | — |
| 2017 | 770.3 | 51.1% | — |
| 2018 | 543.8 | 36.1% | — |
| 2019 | 679.6 | 45.1% | — |
| 2020 | 449.6 | 29.8% | — |
| 2021 | 367.8 | 24.4% | — |
| 2022 | 310.7 | 20.6% | — |
| 2023 | 390.1 | 25.9% | — |
| 2024 | 404.7 | 26.8% | — |
| 2025 | 668.4 | 44.4% | — |
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 | 85.1 | 86 | Feb 1966 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 83.5 | 86 | Dec 1965 | 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% | 169 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Pit 5 | 142 MW | 0.7 km |
| Pit 6 | 79 MW | 7.9 km |
| Nelson Creek | 1 MW | 8.1 km |
| Pit 4 | 103 MW | 10.6 km |
| Roaring Creek Water Power | 2 MW | 12.5 km |
| Cove Hydroelectric | 5 MW | 13.6 km |