CABINET GORGE
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 265 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Bonner County
- Operator
- AVISTA CORP
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1952
- EIA plant ID
- 833
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 858 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 37%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 48.0866, -116.0582
CABINET GORGE, a 265 MW Hydro power plant in Bonner County, Idaho. Operated by AVISTA CORP, commissioned 1952.
How CABINET GORGE compares
With 265 MW of capacity, CABINET GORGE ranks 6th among the 123 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Idaho and 3rd of the 70 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 11% of Idaho's operating Hydro capacity and 5.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 71st-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1952, it is older than 78% of the 121 operating Idaho plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, AVISTA CORP, runs 3 operating plants in Idaho totaling 446 MW. It shares Bonner County with one other operating plant, ALBENI FALLS.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 265 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 858 GWh in 2024 (a 37% capacity factor), down 22% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1952 and 1953.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CABINET GORGE (230 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by AVISTA CORP, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: NOXON RAPIDS (532 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
CABINET GORGE is a 265 MW hydro power plant in Bonner County, ID, operated by AVISTA CORP, commissioned in 1952. Bonner County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.2 of 5 at the 5th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 97th 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.
Bonner County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.61 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73rd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 2.8 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 27.1 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 14th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.20 |
| Hail | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.04 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 19.8 |
Perils not assessed in Bonner 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 Bonner 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.