| Helms Pumped Storage Plant | |
|---|---|
 Courtright, the upper reservoir | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Fresno County |
| Coordinates | 37°02′13″N 118°57′53″W / 37.03694°N 118.96472°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1977 |
| Opening date | 1984 |
| Owner(s) | Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Upper reservoir | |
| Creates | Courtright Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 123,000 acre⋅ft (151,718,266 m3) |
| Lower reservoir | |
| Creates | Wishon Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 129,000 acre⋅ft (159,119,157 m3) |
| Power Station | |
| Hydraulic head | 1,625 ft (495 m) |
| Turbines | 3 x 404 MW Francis pump turbines |
| Installed capacity | 1,212 MW |
The Helms Pumped Storage Plant is located 50 mi (80 km) east of Fresno, California in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range's Sierra National Forest. It is a power station that uses Helms Creek canyon on the North Fork of the Kings River for off-river water storage[1] and the pumped-storage hydroelectric method to generate electricity. After being planned in the early 1970s, construction on the plant began in June 1977 and commercial operations began on 30 June 1984. It has an installed capacity of 1,212 MW and is owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company.[2]
- ^ The Dam Truth About Reservoirs "There are 2 broad categories of reservoirs, the valley reservoir [or on-river storage,] and the off-river storage reservoir"
- ^ "By the Numbers: Helms Pumped Storage Facility". Pacific Gas and Electric Company. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2012.