Power Sales

New Colgate Powerhouse Switchyard

One of Yuba Water Agency’s primary functions is its generation of clean, carbon-free hydropower. New Colgate Powerhouse, Yuba Water's largest hydropower facility, is capable of generating up to 350 megawatts of electricity, and is the perfect match for wind and solar resources due to its ability to increase or decrease power generation depending on the availability of those resources. The agency assumes all of the operations and marketing of power generated by the Yuba River Development Project, which includes New Colgate Powerhouse and Narrows 1 and 2 powerhouses.

Yuba Water is a wholesale power provider, and by law, is not able to sell retail power directly to consumers. The agency instead sells power through the California Independent System Operator.

California Independent System Operator

Hydroelectric power is sold directly to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), an independent, non-profit agency that manages the flow of electricity across high-voltage, long-distance power lines making up most of California’s grid, responsible for keeping electricity moving to homes and communities.

CAISO forecasts electrical demand and then dispatches the lowest cost generator to meet that demand while still ensuring that there is enough transmission capacity for delivery of power.

Investing power sales revenue back into Yuba County

In addition to using its revenue for ongoing operational expenses and capital improvement projects to ensure the reliability of its operations, Yuba Water reinvests its hydropower revenue back into Yuba County through our Community Impact Grant and Loan program.