BROWNLEE
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 585 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Washington County
- Operator
- IDAHO POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1958
- EIA plant ID
- 811
- Generators
- 5
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 2,209 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 37%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 44.8364, -116.8984
BROWNLEE, a 585 MW Hydro power plant in Washington County, Idaho. Operated by IDAHO POWER CO, commissioned 1958.
How BROWNLEE compares
With 585 MW of capacity, BROWNLEE is the largest of the 123 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Idaho and the largest of the 70 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 23% of Idaho's operating Hydro capacity and 12% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 40th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1958, it is older than 76% of the 121 operating Idaho plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, IDAHO POWER CO, runs 20 operating plants in Idaho totaling 1,894 MW.
EIA-860 lists 5 generators at the site with 675 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 585 MW). Net generation was 2,209 GWh in 2024 (a 37% capacity factor), up 40% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1958 and 1980.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is BROWNLEE DAM, under 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by IDAHO POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: OXBOW (190 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
BROWNLEE is a 585 MW hydro power plant in Washington County, ID, operated by IDAHO POWER CO, commissioned in 1958. Washington County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.0 of 5 at the 24th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 98th 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.
Washington County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 73rd | 3.9 of 5 | 0.61 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 73rd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 62nd | 3.5 of 5 | 3.1 |
| Hail | Very Low | 26th | 2.0 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 19th | 1.8 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 20.4 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 6th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.23 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 15.5 |
Perils not assessed in Washington 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 |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Washington 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.