W R GIANELLI

How W R GIANELLI compares

With 424 MW of capacity, W R GIANELLI ranks 38th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 5th of the 195 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 3.1% of California's operating Hydro capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 52nd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1967, it is older than 86% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF WATER RESOURCES, runs 7 operating plants in California totaling 1,430 MW. It shares Merced County with 9 other operating plants, including QUINTO SOLAR PV PROJECT and ONEILL.

EIA-860 lists 8 generators at the site with 424 MW of nameplate capacity, all hydroelectric pumped storage technology. The plant was a net consumer of electricity in 2024 (-208 GWh), which is typical of pumped storage. Its generators came online between 1967 and 1968.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is O'NEIL, about 0.2 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 5 operating power plants totaling 154 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is QUINTO SOLAR PV PROJECT (108 MW, Solar). Within 50 miles are 8 mapped data centers; the nearest is 801 Tenth Street Modesto (Ayera) in Modesto, about 39.6 miles away.

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology