Penacook Lower Falls
Merrimack County, New Hampshire · EIA plant ID 50353 · Operator: Briar-Hydro Associates
Nameplate5MWSummer 5 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation16GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor40%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1983
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 | 12 | 29.9% | — |
| 2002 | 16.3 | 40.5% | — |
| 2003 | 22.8 | 56.7% | — |
| 2004 | 21 | 52.0% | — |
| 2005 | 24 | 59.5% | — |
| 2006 | 28 | 69.4% | — |
| 2007 | 18.3 | 45.4% | — |
| 2008 | 26.3 | 65.0% | — |
| 2009 | 27.2 | 67.4% | — |
| 2010 | 17.1 | 42.5% | — |
| 2011 | 27.6 | 68.5% | — |
| 2012 | 19.1 | 47.2% | — |
| 2013 | 20.2 | 50.1% | — |
| 2014 | 24.4 | 60.5% | — |
| 2015 | 17.6 | 43.6% | — |
| 2016 | 14.5 | 35.9% | — |
| 2017 | 22.1 | 54.9% | — |
| 2018 | 17.9 | 44.5% | — |
| 2019 | 19 | 47.2% | — |
| 2020 | 16.5 | 40.8% | — |
| 2021 | 23.5 | 58.3% | — |
| 2022 | 18.6 | 46.1% | — |
| 2023 | 22.6 | 56.1% | — |
| 2024 | 16.6 | 41.2% | — |
| 2025 | 16.1 | 39.8% | — |
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 | 4.6 | 4.6 | Aug 1983 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Briar-Hydro Associates. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Briar-Hydro Associates | 100.0% | 5 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Penacook Upper Falls Hydro | 3 MW | 0.6 km |
| Rolfe Canal Hydro | 4 MW | 1.4 km |
| Wheelabrator Concord Facility | 14 MW | 1.5 km |
| Garvins Falls | 12 MW | 15.1 km |
| EHC West Hopkinton | 1 MW | 16.4 km |
| Clement Dam Hydro LLC | 2 MW | 17.2 km |