DIABLO

Operating

Hydro power plant

Capacity
182 MW
Primary fuel
Hydro
County
Whatcom County
Operator
CITY OF SEATTLE - (WA)
Status
Operating
Commissioned
1936
EIA plant ID
6432
Generators
4
Technology
Conventional Hydroelectric
Net generation (2024)
361 GWh
Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
23%
Data vintage
EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
Coordinates
48.7157, -121.1414

See it on the map

DIABLO, a 182 MW Hydro power plant in Whatcom County, Washington. Operated by CITY OF SEATTLE - (WA), commissioned 1936.

How DIABLO compares

With 182 MW of capacity, DIABLO ranks 33rd among the 126 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Washington and 17th of the 65 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.9% of Washington's operating Hydro capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 96th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1936, it is older than 84% of the 125 operating Washington plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, CITY OF SEATTLE - (WA), runs 7 operating plants in Washington totaling 1,929 MW. It shares Whatcom County with 9 other operating plants, including ROSS and FERNDALE GENERATING STATION.

EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 182 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 361 GWh in 2024 (a 23% capacity factor), down 39% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1936 and 1937.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is DIABLO (230 kV), under 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by CITY OF SEATTLE - (WA), under 0.1 miles away. Another 3 operating power plants totaling 660 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is ROSS (450 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

DIABLO is a 182 MW hydro power plant in Whatcom County, WA, operated by CITY OF SEATTLE - (WA), commissioned in 1936. Whatcom County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.1 of 5 at the 2nd national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 95th 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.

1.1 of 5Modeled catastrophe exposure
LowExposure band
EarthquakeLeading peril
Relatively ModerateFEMA county risk rating

Whatcom County hazard ratings

PerilFEMA ratingNational percentilePeril scoreEvents per year
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate95th4.8 of 50.02
Coastal floodingRelatively Moderate56th3.2 of 53.6
Heat waveRelatively Moderate49th3.0 of 52.4
Riverine floodingRelatively Moderate46th2.9 of 50.18
Winter weatherRelatively Moderate34th2.4 of 537.3
Ice stormVery High32nd2.3 of 50.53
WildfireVery Low29th2.2 of 5<0.01
LightningRelatively Moderate4th1.2 of 58.1
TornadoVery Low3rd1.1 of 50.02
HailVery Low1st1.0 of 50.01
Strong windVery Low0th1.0 of 5<0.01

Perils not assessed in Whatcom 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.

PerilWhy it is not scored
HurricaneFEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county

Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Whatcom 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.