MERWIN

How MERWIN compares

With 136 MW of capacity, MERWIN ranks 43rd among the 126 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Washington and 19th of the 65 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.6% of Washington's operating Hydro capacity and 0.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 132nd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1931, it is older than 87% of the 125 operating Washington plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, PACIFICORP, runs 7 operating plants in Washington totaling 1,484 MW. It shares Cowlitz County with 5 other operating plants, including MINT FARM GENERATING STATION and YALE.

EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 136 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 467 GWh in 2024 (a 39% capacity factor), down 4% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1931 and 1958.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is LEWIS RIVER (115 kV), about 0.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by PACIFICORP, under 0.1 miles away. Another 7 operating power plants totaling 1,117 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MINT FARM GENERATING STATION (319 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is PTOR1 in Portland, about 30.7 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