13th largest plant in Oregon · 883rd nationally
Round Butte is a hydroelectric power plant in Oregon with a nameplate capacity of 373 MW. It generates roughly 780.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 74,302 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 24% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Round Butte |
|---|---|
| Operator | Portland General Electric Co |
| City | Madras |
| County | Jefferson County |
| State | Oregon |
| ZIP | 97741 |
| Coordinates | 44.60584, -121.27733 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 130 MW | Operating | 1964 |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 130 MW | Operating | 1964 |
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 113 MW | Operating | 1964 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Portland General Electric Co | Portland, OR | 5010.0% |
| Warm Springs Power Enterprises | Warm Springs, OR | 4990.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Portland General Electric Company |
Hydroelectric plants spin turbines using falling or flowing water — typically from a dam-impounded reservoir. They are dispatchable, long-lived, and emission-free at the point of generation, though large reservoirs can disrupt rivers and ecosystems and methane can be released from flooded vegetation.