CHOWCHILLA II
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 50 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Madera County
- Operator
- CALIFORNIA POWER HOLDINGS LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2001
- EIA plant ID
- 56185
- Coordinates
- 37.1073, -120.2485
CHOWCHILLA II, a 50 MW Natural Gas power plant in Madera County, California. Operated by CALIFORNIA POWER HOLDINGS LLC, commissioned 2001.
Weather peril exposure
CHOWCHILLA II is a 50 MW natural gas power plant in Madera County, CA, operated by CALIFORNIA POWER HOLDINGS LLC, commissioned in 2001. Madera County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.8 of 5 at the 19th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 98th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Madera County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.07 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 6.6 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 11.9 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 15.6 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.20 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.18 |
Perils not assessed in Madera County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Madera County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.