BEAR SWAMP

How BEAR SWAMP compares

With 600 MW of capacity, BEAR SWAMP ranks 4th among the 125 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Massachusetts and 2nd of the 27 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 33% of Massachusetts's operating Hydro capacity and 6.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 39th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1974, it is older than 71% of the 122 operating Massachusetts plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, BEAR SWAMP POWER COMPANY LLC, runs 2 operating plants in Massachusetts totaling 611 MW. It shares Berkshire County with 7 other operating plants, including PITTSFIELD GENERATING LP and NEW ENGLAND WIND LLC.

EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 666 MW of nameplate capacity, all hydroelectric pumped storage technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 600 MW). The plant was a net consumer of electricity in 2024 (-212 GWh), which is typical of pumped storage.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is BEAR SWAMP (230 kV), about 0.7 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ELEC CO, about 0.1 miles away. Another 20 operating power plants totaling 444 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is PITTSFIELD GENERATING LP (173 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles is one mapped data center, INOC Albany (80 State St) in Albany, about 40.2 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