Electric Generation Capacity and Energy

Contact
Michael Nyberg | QFERGEN@energy.ca.gov | Energy Assessments Division

Download data for Electric Generation Capacity Energy - Excel

In-State Electric Generation by Fuel Type (GWh)

Primary Fuel Type 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Coal 2,096 1,263 824 802 311 324 305 296 250 317 303 273
PetroleumCoke 1,024 318 194 208 229 207 246 207 191 197 204 100
Biomass 6,058 6,204 6,553 6,779 6,362 5,902 5,838 5,915 5,956 5,720 5,472 5,366
Geothermal 12,685 12,733 12,510 12,186 11,994 11,582 11,745 11,528 10,967 11,345 11,116 11,110
Nuclear 36,666 18,491 17,860 17,027 18,525 18,931 17,925 18,268 16,163 16,280 16,477 17,627
NaturalGas 91,088 121,783 120,870 121,861 117,568 98,883 89,620 90,779 86,248 92,394 97,445 96,457
LargeHydro 35,682 22,737 20,319 13,739 11,569 24,410 36,920 22,043 33,145 17,938 12,036 14,607
SmallHydro 7,055 4,724 3,782 2,742 2,377 4,583 6,392 4,256 5,356 3,481 2,530 3,005
SolarPV 226 1,023 3,794 9,145 13,055 17,383 21,893 25,055 26,423 28,458 33,627 38,391
SolarThermal 889 867 686 1,624 2,446 2,548 2,464 2,545 2,303 2,277 2,065 2,102
Wind 7,598 9,242 11,964 13,104 12,191 13,499 12,867 14,087 13,688 13,708 15,213 13,938
WasteHeat 267 217 222 237 177 182 163 223 220 187 178 215
Oil 36 49 39 45 54 37 33 35 36 30 39 65
Total 201,371 199,650 199,616 199,501 196,859 198,471 206,411 195,234 200,945 192,332 196,705 203,257
Primary Fuel Type 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Coal 2,811 3,010 3,034 2,896 3,012 2,920 2,970 2,841 2,565 2,290
PetroleumCoke 1,231 1,265 1,237 1,197 1,271 1,270 1,249 1,142 1,173 1,120
Biomass 5,782 6,217 6,094 6,082 6,080 5,865 5,766 5,915 6,122 5,985
Geothermal 13,525 13,396 13,329 13,494 13,292 13,093 13,084 12,907 12,907 12,740
Nuclear 33,294 34,353 35,594 30,241 36,155 32,036 35,698 32,482 31,509 32,214
NaturalGas 116,158 92,498 94,214 105,033 96,893 108,952 120,245 122,793 117,112 109,695
LargeHydro 20,144 26,003 30,325 28,945 33,334 40,952 22,640 19,887 23,659 28,483
SmallHydro 4,844 5,356 5,996 5,545 6,928 7,607 4,466 4,573 4,880 5,707
SolarPV 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 17 90
SolarThermal 834 848 757 739 658 614 666 730 841 879
Wind 3,242 3,546 3,316 4,258 4,084 4,902 5,570 5,724 6,249 6,172
WasteHeat 242 240 294 237 221 259 233 278 233 241
Oil 379 87 103 127 148 134 103 92 67 52
Total 202,488 186,823 194,294 198,796 202,079 218,604 212,693 209,367 207,333 205,667
Graph of In-State Electric Generation by Fuel Type (GWh)

Installed In-State Electric Generation Capacity by Fuel Type (MW)

Primary Fuel Type 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Coal 366 302 247 247 139 101 63 63 63 63 63 63
PetroleumCoke 173 149 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36
Biomass 1,181 1,210 1,224 1,309 1,328 1,336 1,318 1,335 1,321 1,280 1,267 1,260
Geothermal 2,648 2,703 2,705 2,703 2,716 2,702 2,665 2,706 2,712 2,712 2,693 2,693
Nuclear 4,647 4,647 4,647 2,393 2,393 2,393 2,393 2,393 2,393 2,393 2,393 2,393
NaturalGas 44,420 45,224 48,908 47,124 45,478 45,468 42,476 42,709 40,478 39,471 39,452 39,449
LargeHydro 12,172 12,172 12,182 12,271 12,279 12,279 12,281 12,281 12,281 12,281 12,281 12,281
SmallHydro 1,743 1,756 1,765 1,755 1,750 1,753 1,761 1,759 1,759 1,764 1,765 1,754
SolarPV 228 793 3,130 4,791 6,079 8,744 9,821 10,687 11,585 13,712 15,019 17,093
SolarThermal 408 408 925 1,300 1,292 1,249 1,249 1,249 1,249 1,249 1,249 1,076
Wind 3,992 4,967 5,785 5,877 6,029 5,671 5,678 5,982 5,959 5,999 6,181 6,117
WasteHeat 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52
Oil 510 351 351 352 352 352 352 352 352 352 352 351
Total 72,540 74,734 81,957 80,209 79,922 82,135 80,143 81,603 80,238 81,361 82,802 84,617
Primary Fuel Type 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Coal 429 429 429 429 429 429 429 429 410 416
PetroleumCoke 173 173 173 173 173 173 173 173 173 173
Biomass 1,176 1,155 1,160 1,107 1,106 1,100 1,094 1,121 1,118 1,128
Geothermal 2,625 2,623 2,623 2,623 2,623 2,641 2,696 2,598 2,648 2,648
Nuclear 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,456 4,577
NaturalGas 30,434 33,414 36,621 36,052 38,741 40,437 40,929 41,306 43,566 44,553
LargeHydro 11,857 11,721 11,721 11,721 11,710 11,812 11,812 12,093 12,093 12,132
SmallHydro 1,751 1,748 1,740 1,739 1,743 1,744 1,747 1,748 1,757 1,744
SolarPV 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 7 15 117
SolarThermal 410 378 378 378 378 400 400 400 408 408
Wind 1,534 1,544 1,571 2,064 2,089 2,310 2,373 2,462 2,728 3,183
WasteHeat 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52
Oil 635 590 567 567 567 558 575 575 576 552
Total 55,534 58,285 61,494 61,363 64,069 66,115 66,740 67,420 70,001 71,683
graph of Installed In-State Electric Generation Capacity by Fuel Type (MW)
Source: QFER CEC-1304 Power Plant Data Reporting
* Note: Operational capacity as of December 31 of each year. Does not include plants that retired within the year.

Data based on CEC-1304 QFER Database as of August 3, 2023.

These tables and corresponding charts are provided to show the total installed electric generation nameplate capacity of all power plants one megawatt (MW) and larger located within California, and the corresponding generation from these resources. The data is collected under the authority of the California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 3, Section 1304(a)(1)-(2).

The information in these charts and tables is based on metering at each power plant site and, therefore, does not account for the 7-8 percent (typical) loss attributed to transmission for delivery to the customer's meter. In addition, the information includes both retail sales and non-retail sales such as water delivery and pumped storage. The information cannot be used to determine progress toward the Renewables Portfolio Standard due to these differences.

The information does not include power plants with a nameplate capacity of less than one megawatt and does not include distributed generation such as residential solar photovoltaic installations, backup power generators, or imported energy from surrounding control areas. Data is subject to change based on revisions and quality control checks.

For more information, visit the Renewables Portfolio Standard.