HydroOperatingWACM

Crystal

Hydro power plant in Montrose County, Colorado. 28 MW of nameplate capacity across 1 generator, operated by U S Bureau of Reclamation.

Also known as Crystal Dam Powerhouse · EIA plant 6159

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Morrow PointSouth Canal Hydro-1Shavano Falls Hydro D…Drop 5 (CO)Crystal10 km
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6 plants within 26 km, from EIA coordinates.

Key facts

Capacity
28 MWNameplate
Generators
1 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
Operating since
June 1978First generator online
Operator
U S Bureau of ReclamationEIA operator ID 2518
Grid
WACMBalancing authority WACM
Price nodes
1 SPP nodeResource nodes with prices
Location
Montrose County, CO38.5106, −107.6253
EIA plant ID
6159EIA plant page

Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.

How much power Crystal produces

Free · EIA-923

Net generation, 2025

141 GWh

141,252 MWh, final

Capacity factor, 2025

57.6%

2024: 58.7%

January to July 2026

Not reported

Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported

Range, 2015 to 2025

111.2–180.8

GWh a year. Low 2022, high 2018

Annual net generation, GWhCapacity factor below each year
Annual net generation from EIA-923
YearNet generation, MWhCapacity factorMonths reported
2000165,669Not reported12 of 12
2001148,668Not reported12 of 12
2002102,163Not reported12 of 12
200396,103Not reported12 of 12
20043,816Not reported12 of 12
2005137,950Not reported12 of 12
2006151,751Not reported12 of 12
2007168,239Not reported12 of 12
2008212,591Not reported12 of 12
2009170,664Not reported12 of 12
2010150,97161.6%12 of 12
2011198,84681.1%12 of 12
2012121,10649.2%12 of 12
2013105,40743.0%12 of 12
2014139,47056.9%12 of 12
2015133,84454.6%12 of 12
2016175,78071.5%12 of 12
2017155,73463.5%12 of 12
2018180,82373.7%12 of 12
2019133,56954.5%12 of 12
2020171,90569.9%12 of 12
2021133,80654.6%12 of 12
2022111,21445.3%12 of 12
2023122,72450.0%12 of 12
2024144,29658.7%12 of 12
2025141,25257.6%12 of 12
2026 (provisional, partial year)Not reportedNot reported0 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 account · SPP

Emissions

Free · EPA CAMPD

No EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.

Water use

Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGS

No EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024. Plants without steam cooling, such as wind, solar and batteries, do not report cooling water.

Generators

Free · EIA-860M
GeneratorTechnologyNameplate MWOnline since
1Conventional Hydroelectric28.0June 1978

Ownership and offtake

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Ownership and offtake are part of Pro

Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists U S Bureau of Reclamation as the operator, which is not always the owner.

Modeled data

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Power plants near Crystal

More plants operated by U S Bureau of Reclamation

Questions about Crystal

How much power does Crystal produce?

Crystal reported 141,252 MWh (141 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 57.6% capacity factor on 28 MW of nameplate capacity.

Where is Crystal?

Crystal is in Montrose County, Colorado, at 38.5106, −107.6253. It is in the Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region balancing area (WACM).

Who operates Crystal?

EIA-860M for August 2026 lists U S Bureau of Reclamation as the operator (EIA operator ID 2518). The operator is not always the owner.

When did Crystal start operating?

Its first generator began operating in June 1978, according to EIA-860M.

Does InfraMap have power prices for Crystal?

Yes. InfraMap has SPP day-ahead and real-time prices at 1 price node linked to Crystal, with the hub price and node-to-hub basis. Prices are free with an InfraMap account; pricing node names are part of InfraMap Pro.

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)
  • SPP day-ahead and real-time prices; node and hub assignments as of 2026-10-05
  • Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page