Blue Mesa
Gunnison County, Colorado · EIA plant ID 512 · Operator: U S Bureau of Reclamation
Nameplate86MWSummer 86 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation198GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor26%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1967
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 | 208.1 | 27.5% | — |
| 2002 | 142.3 | 18.8% | — |
| 2003 | 136.5 | 18.0% | — |
| 2004 | 145.6 | 19.2% | — |
| 2005 | 206.9 | 27.3% | — |
| 2006 | 254.4 | 33.6% | — |
| 2007 | 237.5 | 31.4% | — |
| 2008 | 339.9 | 44.8% | — |
| 2009 | 296.4 | 39.2% | — |
| 2010 | 211.4 | 27.9% | — |
| 2011 | 329.4 | 43.5% | — |
| 2012 | 172.1 | 22.7% | — |
| 2013 | 134.6 | 17.8% | — |
| 2014 | 221.3 | 29.2% | — |
| 2015 | 258.8 | 34.2% | — |
| 2016 | 252.9 | 33.3% | — |
| 2017 | 311.5 | 41.1% | — |
| 2018 | 238.1 | 31.5% | — |
| 2019 | 166.1 | 21.9% | — |
| 2020 | 259.3 | 34.2% | — |
| 2021 | 176.9 | 23.4% | — |
| 2022 | 122.9 | 16.2% | — |
| 2023 | 171 | 22.6% | — |
| 2024 | 246.8 | 32.5% | — |
| 2025 | 198 | 26.2% | — |
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 | 43.2 | 43.2 | Sep 1967 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 43.2 | 43.2 | Nov 1967 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: U S Bureau of Reclamation. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| U S Bureau of Reclamation | 100.0% | 86 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Morrow Point | 173 MW | 17.6 km |
| Crystal | 28 MW | 25.9 km |
| South Canal Hydro-1 | 4 MW | 36.5 km |
| South Canal Hydro-3 | 4 MW | 37.8 km |
| Shavano Falls Hydro Drop 4 | 5 MW | 38.3 km |
| Drop 5 | 2 MW | 41.5 km |