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40.3 MW Hydro operating in Kern, CA — California Independent System Operator
40.3 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1921
Operating Since
Coordinates
35.7762, -118.4362
County
Kern, CA
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Southern California Edison Co | Southern California Edison | — |
| Owner(s) | Southern California Edison Co | Edison International | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Kern River 3 is a 40.3 MW conventional hydroelectric power plant located in Kern County, California. The plant began operating in 1921 and has two generators. It is owned by Edison International and operated by Southern California Edison Co. The plant's primary fuel source is water (WAT).
In the most recent year with available data, Kern River 3 generated 142,766 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 40.4%. The plant operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. According to available data, the installed cost was $1,558.1 per kW. Kern River 3 is ranked 71st out of 247 power plants in California and 346th out of 1464 plants nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
ISO/RTO
CAISO
Market
ISO/RTO Member
NERC Region
WECC — Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Balancing Authority
10.2K MWh
Latest Month
142.8K MWh
Annual Generation
40.4%
Capacity Factor
Run-of-river hydro · Southern California Edison Company · Data from 2015–2024
$1,559/kW
Installed Cost
$29.2/MWh
Operating Cost
Annual Capital & Operating Expenses
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Kernville
Substation Distance
0.002 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
KERNRVU1_7_B1
Pricing Hub
TH_SP15_GEN-APND
Alt. Hub / Zone
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
Curated node match
Last updated 2026-03-26
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ask pi about Kern River 3California Independent System Operator (CISO)
Grid Voltage
66.0 kV
Regulatory Status
RE — Regulated
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility