Helms Pumped Storage
Hydro power plant · Fresno County, California
Nameplate capacity
1,053 MW
Rank in California
#9
of 1,897 plants
In service since
1984
June 1984
Details
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
- Operator
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
- County
- Fresno County
- Generating units
- 3
- Share of state capacity
- 0.98%
- Rank among hydro plants in California
- #2 of 244
- EIA plant code
- 6100
Generating units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 351 MW | 404 MW | 1984 | Operating |
| 2 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 351 MW | 404 MW | 1984 | Operating |
| 3 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 351 MW | 404 MW | 1984 | Operating |
Nameplate is the maximum rated output; summer capacity is what the unit can reliably deliver on a hot day, which is typically lower.
Similarly sized plants in California
| La Paloma Generating Plant | Natural gas | 1,156 MW |
| AES Alamitos LLC | Natural gas | 1,115 MW |
| Mountainview Generating Station | Natural gas | 1,037 MW |
| Bellefield Solar and Energy Storage Farm | Solar | 1,000 MW |
About this data
From EIA’s inventory of operable generators, May 2026 release. Capacity is nameplate — the maximum rated output of the equipment, not what the plant actually generates over a year, which depends on how often it runs. A 1,053 MW solar plant and a 1,053 MW nuclear plant have the same entry here and produce very different amounts of electricity.
“In service since” is the earliest in-service date among the units still listed, so a site rebuilt around newer equipment can read as younger than the site itself. All California power plants · What California actually generates