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
- Generators
- 16
- Technology
- Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine
- Net generation (2024)
- 16.5 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 3.8%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- 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.
How CHOWCHILLA II compares
With 50 MW of capacity, CHOWCHILLA II ranks 249th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 93rd of the 190 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.1% of California's operating Natural Gas capacity and under 0.1% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 807th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2001, it is older than 55% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Madera County with 9 other operating plants, including MAMMOTH POOL and BIG CREEK 4.
EIA-860 lists 16 generators at the site with 50 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas internal combustion engine technology. Net generation was 16.5 GWh in 2024 (a 3.8% capacity factor), down 25% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CAPCO, under 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, under 0.1 miles away. Another 8 operating power plants totaling 36 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is EL NIDO FACILITY (13 MW, Biomass).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
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.