Crystal
Montrose County, Colorado · EIA plant ID 6159 · Operator: U S Bureau of Reclamation
Nameplate28MWSummer 35 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation141GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor46%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1978
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 | 148.7 | 56.6% | — |
| 2002 | 102.2 | 38.9% | — |
| 2003 | 96.1 | 36.6% | — |
| 2004 | 3.8 | 1.5% | — |
| 2005 | 138 | 45.0% | — |
| 2006 | 151.8 | 49.5% | — |
| 2007 | 168.2 | 54.9% | — |
| 2008 | 212.6 | 69.2% | — |
| 2009 | 170.7 | 55.7% | — |
| 2010 | 151 | 49.2% | — |
| 2011 | 198.8 | 64.9% | — |
| 2012 | 121.1 | 39.4% | — |
| 2013 | 105.4 | 34.4% | — |
| 2014 | 139.5 | 45.5% | — |
| 2015 | 133.8 | 43.6% | — |
| 2016 | 175.8 | 57.2% | — |
| 2017 | 155.7 | 50.8% | — |
| 2018 | 180.8 | 59.0% | — |
| 2019 | 133.6 | 43.6% | — |
| 2020 | 171.9 | 55.9% | — |
| 2021 | 133.8 | 43.6% | — |
| 2022 | 111.2 | 36.3% | — |
| 2023 | 122.7 | 40.0% | — |
| 2024 | 144.3 | 46.9% | — |
| 2025 | 141.3 | 46.1% | — |
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 | 28 | 35 | Jun 1978 | 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% | 28 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Morrow Point | 173 MW | 9.9 km |
| South Canal Hydro-1 | 4 MW | 11.7 km |
| South Canal Hydro-3 | 4 MW | 13.5 km |
| Shavano Falls Hydro Drop 4 | 5 MW | 14.8 km |
| Drop 5 | 2 MW | 20 km |
| Blue Mesa | 86 MW | 25.9 km |