Thompson Falls
Sanders County, Montana · EIA plant ID 2195 · Operator: NorthWestern Energy
Nameplate98MWSummer 94 MW
Generators7in service
Net generation440GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor54%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1915
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), hydro units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 368.2 | 48.1% | — |
| 2002 | 498.8 | 65.1% | — |
| 2003 | 452.4 | 59.0% | — |
| 2004 | 501.7 | 65.3% | — |
| 2005 | 458.9 | 59.9% | — |
| 2006 | 493.1 | 64.3% | — |
| 2007 | 509.4 | 66.5% | — |
| 2008 | 474.3 | 61.7% | — |
| 2009 | 482 | 58.5% | — |
| 2010 | 465.2 | 56.5% | — |
| 2011 | 534.3 | 64.9% | — |
| 2012 | 522.1 | 63.2% | — |
| 2013 | 482.9 | 58.7% | — |
| 2014 | 529.8 | 64.3% | — |
| 2015 | 522.5 | 63.4% | — |
| 2016 | 510.3 | 61.8% | — |
| 2017 | 498.4 | 60.5% | — |
| 2018 | 460.6 | 56.2% | — |
| 2019 | 449.1 | 54.8% | — |
| 2020 | 480.2 | 58.5% | — |
| 2021 | 469.4 | 57.3% | — |
| 2022 | 496.7 | 60.6% | — |
| 2023 | 396.3 | 48.4% | — |
| 2024 | 436.4 | 53.1% | — |
| 2025 | 439.8 | 53.7% | — |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TF1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 7 | 7.5 | Jul 1917 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| TF2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 7 | 6.5 | May 1917 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| TF3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 7 | 7.5 | Nov 1916 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| TF4 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 6 | 6.5 | Nov 1916 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| TF5 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 7 | 6 | Jul 1915 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| TF6 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 7 | 6.5 | Jul 1915 | Operating (Out of service) | — | coming soon |
| TF7 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 57.1 | 53 | Jul 1915 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: NorthWestern Energy. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| NorthWestern Energy | 100.0% | 98 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Noxon Rapids | 488 MW | 49.5 km |
| Cabinet Gorge | 265 MW | 75.3 km |