Buchanan Dam (TX)
Llano County, Texas · EIA plant ID 3595 · Operator: Lower Colorado River Authority
Nameplate55MWSummer 55 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation29GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor6%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1938
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 | 20 | 4.7% | — |
| 2002 | 30.7 | 7.2% | — |
| 2003 | 32.3 | 7.5% | — |
| 2004 | 58.1 | 13.5% | — |
| 2005 | 65.8 | 15.4% | — |
| 2006 | 28.1 | 6.6% | — |
| 2007 | 38.6 | 9.8% | — |
| 2008 | 29.7 | 7.5% | — |
| 2009 | 26.8 | 5.7% | — |
| 2010 | 3.2 | 0.7% | — |
| 2011 | 30.7 | 6.5% | — |
| 2012 | 6.8 | 1.4% | — |
| 2013 | 10.2 | 2.1% | — |
| 2014 | 7.2 | 1.5% | — |
| 2015 | 1.4 | 0.3% | — |
| 2016 | 45 | 9.3% | — |
| 2017 | 18.6 | 3.9% | — |
| 2018 | 40.1 | 8.3% | — |
| 2019 | 50.2 | 10.4% | — |
| 2020 | 17.2 | 3.6% | — |
| 2021 | 10.6 | 2.2% | — |
| 2022 | 23.6 | 4.9% | — |
| 2023 | 14.1 | 2.9% | — |
| 2024 | 17.1 | 3.5% | — |
| 2025 | 29.2 | 6.1% | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 18.3 | 18.3 | Jan 1938 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 18.3 | 18.3 | Jan 1938 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 18.3 | 18.3 | May 1950 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Lower Colorado River Authority. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Lower Colorado River Authority | 100.0% | 55 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Inks | 15 MW | 3.7 km |
| RedSun PV and BESS | — | 20.9 km |
| Thomas C Ferguson | 575 MW | 21.9 km |
| Granite Shoals | 54 MW | 22.9 km |
| Marble Falls | 40 MW | 26.6 km |
| Backbone Creek BESS | — | 27.1 km |