MIDDLE FORK
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 122 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Placer County
- Operator
- PLACER COUNTY WATER AGENCY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1966
- EIA plant ID
- 425
- Generators
- 2
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 435 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 40%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 39.0248, -120.5964
MIDDLE FORK, a 122 MW Hydro power plant in Placer County, California. Operated by PLACER COUNTY WATER AGENCY, commissioned 1966.
How MIDDLE FORK compares
With 122 MW of capacity, MIDDLE FORK ranks 137th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 29th of the 195 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.9% of California's operating Hydro capacity and 0.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 148th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1966, it is older than 87% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, PLACER COUNTY WATER AGENCY, runs 4 operating plants in California totaling 231 MW. It shares Placer County with 17 other operating plants, including ROSEVILLE ENERGY PARK and RALSTON.
EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 122 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 435 GWh in 2024 (a 40% capacity factor).
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is MIDDLE FORK (230 kV), under 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, under 0.1 miles away. Another 25 operating power plants totaling 1,124 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WHITE ROCK/SLAB CREEK (266 MW, Hydro).
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
MIDDLE FORK is a 122 MW hydro power plant in Placer County, CA, operated by PLACER COUNTY WATER AGENCY, commissioned in 1966. Placer County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.3 of 5 at the 7th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 96th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Placer County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 86th | 4.5 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 69th | 3.8 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | 4.3 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.14 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.07 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 14.2 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 27.2 |
| Hail | Very Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 0.16 |
Perils not assessed in Placer 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 Placer 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.