List of power stations in Montana

This is a list of electricity-generating power stations in the U.S. state of Montana, sorted by type and name. In 2022, Montana had a total summer capacity of 6,439 MW through all of its power plants, and a net generation of 27,088 GWh.^[2] In 2023, the electrical energy generation mix was 44.8% coal, 29.7% hydroelectric, 17.7% wind, 3.9% natural gas, 1.9% petroleum, 0.9% solar, 0.1% biomass, and 0.9% other. Small-scale solar, including customer-owned photovoltaic panels, delivered and additional 76 GWh to the state's electrical grid in 2023.^[1]

Sources of Montana utility-scale electricity generation:
full-year 2023^[1]

  Coal (44.8%)

  Hydroelectric (29.7%)

  Wind (17.7%)

  Natural Gas (3.9%)

  Petroleum (1.9%)

  Solar (0.9%)

  Biomass (0.1%)

  Other (0.9%)

During 2019, Montana exported about one-half of the electricity generated by its power plants to other states. Montana has the largest recoverable deposits of coal in the nation, accounting for 30% of U.S. reserves. In recent years three-quarters of the coal mined in Montana has been exported, with over one-third going to Asia via western Canada.^[3]

Nuclear power stations

Montana had no utility-scale plants that used fissile material as a fuel in 2022.^[1]

Fossil-fuel power stations

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.^[4]

Coal

A useful map^[5] of coal generation plants is provided by the Sierra Club.

Name	Location	Coordinates	Capacity (MW)	Year Opened	Scheduled Retirement	Refs
Colstrip Steam Electric Station	Rosebud County	45.8831°N 106.614°W / 45.8831; -106.614 (Colstrip Coal Plant)	1480	1975 (Unit 1- 340MW) 1976 (Unit 2- 340MW) 1984 (Unit 3- 740MW) 1986 (Unit 4- 740MW)	2020 (Unit 1- closed) 2020 (Unit 2- closed) 2027 (Unit 3) 2027 (Unit 4)	[6][7][8]
Colstrip Energy LP Plant	Rosebud County	45.9752°N 106.6547°W / 45.9752; -106.6547 (Colstrip Energy LP Plant)	38	1990	TBD	[9][10]
Hardin Generator Project	Big Horn County	45.7578°N 107.6000°W / 45.7578; -107.6000 (Hardin Generator Project)	107	2006	TBD [A]	[11]
Lewis & Clark Station	Richland County	47.6785°N 104.1566°W / 47.6785; -104.1566 (Lewis & Clark Station)	53	1958	2021 (closed)	[12][13][14][15]
Sidney Sugars Plant	Richland County	47.7172°N 104.1356°W / 47.7172; -104.1356 (Sydney Sugars Plant)	4.0	1950	TBD	[16]

^A The Hardin facility was mostly idle and is re-ramping to service cryptocurrency mining.^[17]

Natural Gas and Petroleum

Name	Location	Coordinates	Capacity (MW)	Fuel Type	Generation Type	Year Opened	Refs
Basin Creek Generation Plant	Silver Bow County	45.9293°N 112.5194°W / 45.9293; -112.5194 (Basin Creek Plant)	54	gas	Reciprocating Engine (x9)	2006	[18][19]
Culbertson Generation Station	Roosevelt County	48.2100°N 104.3917°W / 48.2100; -104.3917 (Culbertson Generation Station)	85	gas	Simple Cycle	2010	[20]
Dave Gates Generating Station[A]	Deer Lodge County	46.1047°N 112.8766°W / 46.1047; -112.8766 (Dave Gates Generating Station)	150	gas	Simple Cycle (x3)	2011	[21]
Glendive Gas Turbine	Dawson County	47.0539°N 104.7400°W / 47.0539; -104.7400 (Glendive GT Plant)	75	gas	Simple Cycle (x2)	1979/2003	[22]
Lewis & Clark 2	Richland County	47.6791°N 104.1600°W / 47.6791; -104.1600 (Lewis & Clark 2 Station)	19	gas	Internal Combustion (x2)	2015	[23][24]
Miles City Gas Turbine	Custer County	46.4112°N 105.7953°W / 46.4112; -105.7953 (Miles City GT Plant)	24	gas	Simple Cycle	1972	[25]
OREG 1 & 2	Roosevelt County	48.2141°N 104.3975°W / 48.2141; -104.3975 (OREG 1/2)	40	waste heat from gas compressor turbine	ORC Generator (x8)	2006/2009	[26]
Phillips 66 Billings Refinery	Yellowstone County	45.7769°N 108.4911°W / 45.7769; -108.4911 (Billing Refinery)	1.5	petroleum gases	Steam Turbine	2007
Yellowstone Energy	Yellowstone County	45.8117°N 108.4278°W / 45.8117; -108.4278 (Yellowstone Plant)	52	petroleum	Steam Turbine	1995	[27]

^A formerly Mill Creek Generating Station

Renewable power stations

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.^[4]

Biomass

Name	Location	Coordinates	Capacity (MW)	Fuel	Generation Type	Year Opened	Refs
Stoltze CoGen1	Flathead County	48.3877°N 114.2409°W / 48.3877; -114.2409 (Stoltze Cogen)	3.0	wood/wood waste	Steam Turbine	2013	[28]

Hydroelectric

See also: List of dams and reservoirs in Montana

Additional Montana hydroelectric general references:^[29][30]

Name	Location	Coordinates	Capacity (MW)	Number of Turbines	Year Opened	Refs
Bigfork Hydro	Flathead		4.5	3	1908
Black Eagle Hydro	Cascade County	47.5213°N 111.2614°W / 47.5213; -111.2614 (Black Eagle Hydro)	21	3	1927	[31]
Broadwater Power Project	Broadwater County	46.1206°N 111.4076°W / 46.1206; -111.4076 (Broadwater Power Project)	9.7	1	1989	[32]
Canyon Ferry Powerplant	Lewis and Clark County	46.6490°N 111.7279°W / 46.6490; -111.7279 (Canyon Ferry Powerplant)	57.6	3	1953-1954	[33]
Cochrane Hydro	Cascade County	47.5375°N 111.1950°W / 47.5375; -111.1950 (Cochrane Hydro)	62	2	1958	[31]
Flint Creek Hydro	Granite County	46.2275°N 113.2947°W / 46.2275; -113.2947 (Flint Creek Hydro)	2.0	1	2013	[34]
Fort Peck Hydropower Plant	McCone County	48.0122°N 106.4123°W / 48.0122; -106.4123 (Fort Peck Hydropower Plant)	218	5	1943/1948/ 1951/1961	[35]
Hauser Hydro	Lewis and Clark County	46.7659°N 111.8873°W / 46.7659; -111.8873 (Hauser Hydro)	18.2	6	1911	[31]
Holter Hydro	Cascade County	46.9915°N 112.0047°W / 46.9915; -112.0047 (Holter Hydro)	53.2	4	1918	[31]
Hungry Horse Powerplant	Flathead County	48.3415°N 114.0144°W / 48.3415; -114.0144 (Hungry Horse Hydro Powerplant)	427	4	1952-1953	[36]
Libby Hydro Plant	Lincoln County	48.4098°N 115.3143°W / 48.4098; -115.3143 (Libby Hydro Plant)	525	5	1975-1976/ 1984	[37]
Madison Hydro	Madison County	45.4879°N 111.6338°W / 45.4879; -111.6338 (Madison Hydro)	8.0	4	1906/1908	[31]
Morony Hydro	Cascade County	47.5817°N 111.0609°W / 47.5817; -111.0609 (Morony Hydro)	49	2	1930	[31]
Mystic Lake Hydro	Stillwater County	45.2257°N 109.7625°W / 45.2257; -109.7625 (Mystic Lake Hydro)	12	2	1925	[31]
Noxon Rapids Hydro	Sanders County	47.9605°N 115.7336°W / 47.9605; -115.7336 (Noxon Rapids Hydro Plant)	580	5	1959-1960/ 1977	[38]
Rainbow Hydro	Cascade County	47.5344°N 111.2045°W / 47.5344; -111.2045 (Rainbow Hydro)	64	1	2013	[31]
Ryan Hydro	Cascade County	47.5699°N 111.1225°W / 47.5699; -111.1225 (Ryan Hydro)	69.5	6	1915-1916	[31]
Seli's Ksanka Qlispe' Hydro (formerly Kerr Dam Hydro)	Lake County	47.6777°N 114.2339°W / 47.6777; -114.2339 (Seli's Ksanka Qlispe' Hydro)	206	3	1938/1949/ 1954	[31]
South Dry Creek Hydro	Carbon County	45.2063°N 109.1652°W / 45.2063; -109.1652 (South Dry Creek Hydro)	2.0	1	1985	[39]
Thompson Falls Hydro	Sanders County	47.5932°N 115.3582°W / 47.5932; -115.3582 (Thompson Falls Hydro)	94	7	1915-1917	[31]
Tiber Dam Hydro	Liberty County	48.318°N 111.1018°W / 48.318; -111.1018 (Tiber Dam Hydro)	7.5	1	2004	[29]
Turnbull Hydro	Teton County	47.6053°N 112.0969°W / 47.6053; -112.0969 (Turnbull Hydro)	13	2	2011	[40]
Yellowtail Powerplant	Big Horn County	45.3074°N 107.9575°W / 45.3074; -107.9575 (Yellowtail Powerplant)	278	4	1966	[41]

Wind

See also: Wind power in Montana

Name	Location	Coordinates	Capacity (MW)	Number of Turbines	Year Opened	Turbine Mfg Spec	Refs
Big Timber Wind Farm (Greycliff)	Sweet Grass County	45.8554°N 109.6492°W / 45.8554; -109.6492 (Big Timber Wind)	25	14	2018	GE 1.8MW	[42]
Diamond Willow Wind Facility	Fallon County	46.2753°N 104.1836°W / 46.2753; -104.1836 (Diamond Willow Wind)	30	20	2008	GE 1.5MW	[42]
Fairfield Wind	Teton County	47.7233°N 111.9653°W / 47.7233; -111.9653 (Fairfield Wind)	10	6	2014	GE 1.6/1.7MW	[42]
Glacier Wind I&II	Glacier County Toole County	48.5333°N 112.1847°W / 48.5333; -112.1847 (Glacier Wind)	210	140	2008	Acciona 1.5MW	[43]
Gordon Butte Wind	Meagher County	46.4119°N 110.3378°W / 46.4119; -110.3378 (Gordon Butte Wind)	17.7	9	2012 2018	GE 1.6MW GE 2.7MW	[42]
Greenfield Wind	Teton County	47.7230°N 111.9630°W / 47.7230; -111.9630 (Greenfield Wind)	25	13	2016	GE 2.3MW	[42]
Horseshoe Bend Wind Park	Cascade County	47.4983°N 111.4392°W / 47.4983; -111.4392 (Horseshoe Bend Wind Park)	9.0	6	2006	GE 1.5MW	[42]
Judith Gap Wind Energy Center	Wheatland County	46.5725°N 109.7531°W / 46.5725; -109.7531 (Judith Gap Wind)	135	90	2006	GE 1.5MW	[22]
Musselshell Wind Project I&II	Wheatland County	46.2753°N 109.4827°W / 46.2753; -109.4827 (Musselshell Wind)	20	14	2013	GE 1.5MW	[42]
Pryor Mountain Wind Project[A]	Carbon County	45°08′05″N 108°41′12″W	240	114	2020	Vestas 2.0/2.2MW GE 2.3MW[44]	[45][46]
Rim Rock Wind Farm	Glacier County Toole County	48.8202°N 112.1033°W / 48.8202; -112.1033 (Rim Rock Wind)	189	126	2012	Acciona 1.5MW	[47][48]
Spion Kop Wind Farm	Judith Basin County	47.3333°N 110.6392°W / 47.3333; -110.6392 (Spion Kop Wind)	40	25	2013	GE 1.6MW	[42][49]
Stillwater Wind	Stillwater County	45.8658°N 109.4766°W / 45.8658; -109.4766 (Stillwater Wind)	80	31	2018	Siemens-Gamesa 2.3/2.6MW	[50]
South Peak Wind	Judith Basin County	47.3299°N 110.6146°W / 47.3299; -110.6146 (South Peak Wind)	80	29	2020	GE 2.3/2.5MW	[51]
Two Dot Wind Farm	Wheatland County	46.4494°N 110.0872°W / 46.4494; -110.0872 (Two Dot Wind)	9.7	6	2014	GE 1.6MW	[42][49]

^A formerly Mud Springs Wind

Solar

See also: Solar power in Montana

Project Name	Location	Coordinates	Capacity (MWAC)	Year Opened	Refs
Black Eagle Solar	Cascade County	47.5475°N 111.2540°W / 47.5475; -111.2540 (Black Eagle Solar)	3.0	2017	[52]
Great Divide Solar	Lewis and Clark County	46.8057°N 112.2490°W / 46.8057; -112.2490 (Great Divide Solar)	3.0	2017	[53]
Green Meadow Solar	Lewis and Clark County	46.6945°N 112.0636°W / 46.6945; -112.0636 (Green Meadow Solar)	3.0	2017	[54]
Magpie Solar	Golden Valley County	46.2914°N 108.9379°W / 46.2914; -108.9379 (Magpie Solar)	3.0	2017	[55]
River Bend Solar	Stillwater County	45.7038°N 109.5652°W / 45.7038; -109.5652 (River Bend Solar)	2.0	2017	[56]
South Mills Solar	Big Horn County	45.7301°N 107.6326°W / 45.7301; -107.6326 (South Mills Solar)	3.0	2017	[57]

Storage power stations

Montana had no utility-scale storage power stations in 2019.^[4] A proposed facility is the 400MW/1300MWh Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project.^[58]

• Energy portal
• United States portal
• Montana portal

References

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4. Energy Information Administration (15 September 2020). "Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B)". eia.gov. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020.
5. Sierra Club-Beyond Coal
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