HELLS CANYON
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 392 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Wallowa County
- Operator
- IDAHO POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1967
- EIA plant ID
- 3013
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,926 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 53%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 45.2436, -116.7015
HELLS CANYON, a 392 MW Hydro power plant in Wallowa County, Oregon. Operated by IDAHO POWER CO, commissioned 1967.
How HELLS CANYON compares
With 392 MW of capacity, HELLS CANYON ranks 11th among the 130 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Oregon and 5th of the 58 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 4.8% of Oregon's operating Hydro capacity and 2.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 57th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1967, it is older than 67% of the 128 operating Oregon plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, IDAHO POWER CO, runs 2 operating plants in Oregon totaling 582 MW. It shares Wallowa County with one other operating plant, WALLOWA FALLS.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 411 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 1,926 GWh in 2024 (a 53% capacity factor), up 33% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is HUNTER CREEK (230 kV), about 19.4 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. Another 3 operating power plants totaling 194 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is 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
HELLS CANYON is a 392 MW hydro power plant in Wallowa County, OR, operated by IDAHO POWER CO, commissioned in 1967. Wallowa County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.5 of 5 at the 14th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate 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.
Wallowa County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 0.61 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 50th | 3.0 of 5 | 2.2 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 20.7 |
| Hail | Very Low | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.37 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.16 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 6th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.10 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | 17.6 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.03 |
Perils not assessed in Wallowa 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 Wallowa 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.