Big Fork
Hydro power plant in Flathead County, Montana. 4.1 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by PacifiCorp.
Also known as Big Fork Hydro Power Plant · EIA plant 6459
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 4.1 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- July 1910First generator online
- Operator
- PacifiCorpEIA operator ID 14354
- Grid
- PACEBalancing authority PACE
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Flathead County, MT48.0592, −114.0708
- EIA plant ID
- 6459EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Big Fork produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
24.6 GWh
24,572 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
68.4%
2024: 59.2%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
21.3–29.5
GWh a year. Low 2024, high 2016
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13,021 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 17,729 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 19,523 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 26,555 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 30,084 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 30,861 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 31,391 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 24,435 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 27,562 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 28,977 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 32,262 | 89.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 34,671 | 96.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 33,426 | 92.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 30,165 | 84.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 31,240 | 87.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 26,515 | 73.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 29,483 | 81.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 21,447 | 59.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 26,132 | 72.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 27,204 | 75.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 27,032 | 75.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 28,399 | 79.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 26,340 | 73.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 25,104 | 69.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 21,336 | 59.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 24,572 | 68.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | Not reported | Not reported | 0 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 CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSNo 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| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1.7 | July 1927 |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1.7 | July 1928 |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 0.7 | July 1910 |
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 PacifiCorp as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
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Power plants near Big Fork
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Questions about Big Fork
How much power does Big Fork produce?
Big Fork reported 24,572 MWh (24.6 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 68.4% capacity factor on 4.1 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Big Fork?
Big Fork is in Flathead County, Montana, at 48.0592, −114.0708. It is in the PacifiCorp - East balancing area (PACE).
Who operates Big Fork?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists PacifiCorp as the operator (EIA operator ID 14354). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Big Fork start operating?
Its first generator began operating in July 1910, 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)
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page