Black Creek

Hydro power plant in Washington, United States of America. Approximate location 47.5497, -121.7105.

HydroWashingtonUnited States of America

Black Creek is a 4 MW hydro power plant in Washington, United States of America. It is operated by Black Creek Hydro Inc. Based on reported annual generation of 8 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.3k homes. It ranks #7760 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1994, it is around 32 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 5.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

4Source-backed capacity
8GWh reported / yr
2,285homes powered
1994commissioned (~32 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0054860.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBlack Creek WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Washington WRI
Coordinates47.5497, -121.7105 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity4 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerBlack Creek Hydro Inc WRI
Commissioned1994 WRI
GWh reported / yr8 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#7760 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#968 of 1449 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.46× · 8 MW median · 1449 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,285 calculated from reported generation
Climate6.4°C · HDD 4,240 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 24/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 4 MW, Black Creek is below the median hydro plant in United States of America (8 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2013: 13 GWh20132014: 14 GWh20142015: 6 GWh20152016: 12 GWh20162017: 11 GWh20172018: 12 GWh20182019: 8 GWh201914 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Black Creek Hydro Inc.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 47.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

6.4°Cannual mean temp
4,240heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
920 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -1 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 2 °CMA: 5 °CAM: 8 °CMJ: 11 °CJJ: 14 °CJA: 15 °CAS: 12 °CSO: 7 °CON: 2 °CND: -1 °CD15 °C

Heating degree-days here run 72% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 87/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
24/100environmental-severity index
16.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
253 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #968 largest hydro power plant of 1449 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 1449 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 102,513 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 47.5497, -121.7105 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Black Creek?

Black Creek is a 4 MW source-record hydro power plant in Washington, United States of America, commissioned in 1994.

How much electricity does Black Creek generate?

Black Creek generates about 8 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Black Creek power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,285 homes.

Who operates Black Creek?

Black Creek is operated by Black Creek Hydro Inc.

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