Estes
Larimer County, Colorado · EIA plant ID 513 · Operator: U S Bureau of Reclamation
Nameplate45MWSummer 52 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation123GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor27%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1950
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 | 108.7 | 24.1% | — |
| 2002 | 106.9 | 23.7% | — |
| 2003 | 77 | 17.0% | — |
| 2004 | 100.3 | 22.1% | — |
| 2005 | 55.4 | 12.3% | — |
| 2006 | 119.9 | 26.5% | — |
| 2007 | 129.6 | 28.7% | — |
| 2008 | 124.5 | 27.5% | — |
| 2009 | 105.5 | 23.3% | — |
| 2010 | 91 | 20.1% | — |
| 2011 | 118 | 26.1% | — |
| 2012 | 130.8 | 28.8% | — |
| 2013 | 84.2 | 18.6% | — |
| 2014 | 95.3 | 21.1% | — |
| 2015 | 57.3 | 12.7% | — |
| 2016 | 114.7 | 25.3% | — |
| 2017 | 100.3 | 22.2% | — |
| 2018 | 125.1 | 27.7% | — |
| 2019 | 129.5 | 28.6% | — |
| 2020 | 95.9 | 21.2% | — |
| 2021 | 115.4 | 25.5% | — |
| 2022 | 77.5 | 17.2% | — |
| 2023 | 106.1 | 23.5% | — |
| 2024 | 107.5 | 23.7% | — |
| 2025 | 123.4 | 27.3% | — |
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 | 15 | 17.2 | Sep 1950 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 15 | 17.2 | Dec 1950 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 15 | 17.2 | Dec 1950 | 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% | 45 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Marys Lake | 8 MW | 4.2 km |
| Pole Hill | 38 MW | 15.7 km |
| Flatiron | 95 MW | 23.2 km |
| Big Thompson | 5 MW | 24.7 km |
| Carter Hydro | 3 MW | 26.2 km |
| Coyote Ridge Community Solar | 2 MW | 34.9 km |