Colstrip
Coal power plant in Rosebud County, Montana. 1,647.4 MW of nameplate capacity across 2 generators, operated by Talen Montana LLC.
Also known as Colstrip Power Plant · EIA plant 6076
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 1,647.4 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 2 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- January 1984First generator online
- Operator
- Talen Montana LLCEIA operator ID 15298
- Grid
- NWMTBalancing authority NWMT
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Rosebud County, MT45.8831, −106.6140
- EIA plant ID
- 6076EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Colstrip produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
9.17 TWh
9,171,195 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
63.6%
2024: 62.4%
January to July 2026
3.66 TWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
9.0–14.8
TWh a year. Low 2024, high 2015
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14,310,363 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 8,478,445 | Not reported | 6 of 12 |
| 2002 | 13,886,845 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 15,214,950 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 15,571,332 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 16,240,783 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 14,764,749 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 15,840,087 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 16,086,750 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 13,154,978 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 16,211,861 | 81.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 13,025,219 | 65.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 12,251,003 | 61.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 12,737,863 | 64.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 9,387,716 | 70.3% | 8 of 12 |
| 2015 | 14,844,275 | 74.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 13,358,656 | 66.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 13,337,994 | 67.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 12,656,682 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 13,407,682 | 64.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 3,740,161 | Not reported | 5 of 12 |
| 2021 | 10,010,332 | 69.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 10,865,555 | 75.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 10,820,444 | 75.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 9,028,457 | 62.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 9,171,195 | 63.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 3,664,743 | 43.7% | 7 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
10.23M
US short tons. 2024: 10.03M
SO₂, 2025
4,593
US short tons
NOx, 2025
7,349
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
1.12 t
About 2,232 lb per MWh
2 of 2 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (1, 2, 3, 4), matched to EIA plant 6076 through the EPA–EIA crosswalk. The per-MWh rate is EPA CO₂ divided by EIA-923 net generation. The two reporting boundaries can differ.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSWithdrawal, 2024
4,774
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
4,774
million gallons
Source
Yellowstone River
Surface, Fresh. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
Severe · 0.986
USGS SUI, HUC12 Headwaters East Fork Armells Creek
24 of 24 cooling months report withdrawal. SUI of the HUC12 containing the plant. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | 823.7 | January 1984 |
| 4 | Conventional Steam Coal | 823.7 | April 1986 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Talen Montana LLC as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
Generation potential vs reported
Monthly potential at seasonal net capability, next to EIA-923 output. Shows how much of the plant's capability was used.
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Power plants near Colstrip
Questions about Colstrip
How much power does Colstrip produce?
Colstrip reported 9,171,195 MWh (9.17 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 63.6% capacity factor on 1,647.4 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 3.66 TWh, which is provisional.
Where is Colstrip?
Colstrip is in Rosebud County, Montana, at 45.8831, −106.6140. It is in the NorthWestern Energy (NWMT) balancing area (NWMT).
Who operates Colstrip?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Talen Montana LLC as the operator (EIA operator ID 15298). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Colstrip start operating?
Its first generator began operating in January 1984, according to EIA-860M.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- EPA CAMPD annual emissions through the EPA–EIA crosswalk, 1995 to 2025
- EIA-923 cooling water 2024 and the USGS surface water supply and use index, Water years 2010-2020 (Oct 2009 to Sep 2020), mean of monthly values
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page