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28 MW Hydro operating in Montrose, CO — Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
28 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1978
Operating Since
Coordinates
38.5106, -107.6253
County
Montrose, CO
Nearby Plants
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | U S Bureau of Reclamation | — | United States Bureau of Reclamation |
| Owner(s) | U S Bureau of Reclamation | — | United States Bureau of Reclamation |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Crystal Dam is a 323-foot-tall (98 m), double-curvature, concrete, thin arch dam located 6 miles downstream from Morrow Point Dam on the Gunnison River in Colorado, United States. Crystal Dam is the newest of the three dams in Curecanti National Recreation Area; construction on the dam was finished in 1976. The dam impounds Crystal Reservoir. Crystal Dam and Reservoir are part of the Bureau of Reclamation's Wayne N. Aspinall Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project, which retains the waters of the Gunnison River and its tributaries for agricultural and municipal use in the American Southwest. The dam's primary purpose is hydroelectric power generation.
Read more on WikipediaThe Crystal hydroelectric plant is located in Montrose County, Colorado. The plant has a total capacity of 28 MW and began operating in 1978. It is owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The plant utilizes a single generator with conventional hydroelectric technology, drawing power from water (WAT) as its primary fuel source. Crystal's balancing authority is the Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region, and it falls within the WECC NERC region.
In the most recent year with available data, Crystal generated 144,296 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 57.8%. The plant is ranked as the 8th largest out of 49 hydroelectric facilities in Colorado, and it holds the 421st position nationally out of 1464 plants.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Grid Region
Mountain West
Market
Bilateral Market
NERC Region
WECC — Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Balancing Authority
3.8K MWh
Latest Month
144.3K MWh
Annual Generation
57.8%
Capacity Factor
2013
$2,294/kW
Est. Construction Cost
Total estimated cost: $64.2M
This plant is in a bilateral market territory without organized wholesale pricing. Nodal pricing data is not available.
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all articlesNo ask pi reports yet for this entity.
ask pi about CrystalWestern Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region (WACM)
Grid Voltage
120.75 kV
Regulatory Status
RE — Regulated
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility