Cowlitz Falls — United States of America
Hydro power plant in Washington, United States of America. Approximate location 46.4661, -122.1097.
HydroWashingtonUnited States of America
Cowlitz Falls is a 70 MW hydro power plant in Washington, United States of America. It is operated by PUD No 1 of Lewis County. Based on reported annual generation of 165 GWh, it can supply roughly 47k homes. It ranks #3256 of 10,884 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).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0007427.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001023304; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 70 MW, Cowlitz Falls is well above 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.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 27%, from 165 GWh of reported generation; the median for 1342 hydro plants in United States of America that report generation is 42%
- Generation trend
- 253 GWh in 2013 and 165 GWh in 2019 (−35%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2014: 290 GWh; 2019: 165 GWh
- Share of United States of America hydro capacity
- less than 0.1% of 102,513 MW across 1,449 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 1,328 of 1,444 dated hydro plants in United States of America are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by PUD No 1 of Lewis County.
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 46.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 57% 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: 82/100 — 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
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
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 #247 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 46.4661, -122.1097 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Cowlitz Falls?
Cowlitz Falls is a 70 MW hydro power plant in Washington, United States of America, commissioned in 1994.
How much electricity does Cowlitz Falls generate?
Cowlitz Falls generates about 165 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Cowlitz Falls?
Cowlitz Falls is operated by PUD No 1 of Lewis County.