Cochrane — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 2182
- Capacity
- 60.4 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Cascade, MT
- Operating Since
- 1958
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro)
- Parent Company
- NorthWestern Energy Group
- Annual Generation
- 228,009 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 43.0%
- Balancing Authority
- NorthWestern Energy (NWMT)
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Cochrane
OperatingHydro
Ranked #9 of 23 Hydro plants in MT#265 of 1454 nationally
60.4 MW Hydro operating in Cascade, MT — NorthWestern Energy (NWMT)
EIAGEMWD
60.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1958
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
47.5397, -111.1947
County
Cascade, MT
Nearby Plants
- Rainbow (MT)Hydro59 MW · 0.9 km
- Black Eagle Solar, LLCSolar3 MW · 4.2 km
- Black EagleHydro26.7 MW · 5.4 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | NorthWestern Energy | — |
| Owner(s) | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | NorthWestern Energy Group | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
Cochrane Dam is a run-of-the river hydroelectric dam on the Missouri River, about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Great Falls in the U.S. state of Montana. The dam has a concrete gravity design and is 59 feet (18 m) high and 753 feet (230 m) long. Its power station has two generators capable of producing 64 megawatts. Construction of the dam was finished in 1958. Montana Power Company originally built the dam, PPL Corporation purchased it in 1997 and sold it to NorthWestern Corporation in 2014.
Read more on WikipediaThe Cochrane hydroelectric plant is located in Cascade County, Montana. It is owned and operated by NorthWestern Energy Group, with NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) listed as the EIA operator. The plant has a total capacity of 60.4 MW consisting of two generators and utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology with water (WAT) as its primary fuel source. Cochrane began operating in 1958.
Cochrane's latest annual generation was 228,009 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 43.0%. The plant operates within the NorthWestern Energy (NWMT) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Cochrane ranks as the 9th largest power plant out of 23 in Montana, and 269th out of 1464 nationally. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $436,413.59 per kW.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
NorthWestern Energy (NWMT)
Grid Voltage
100 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
16.8K MWh
Latest Month
228.0K MWh
Annual Generation
43.0%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$1,039/kW
Installed Cost
$3.9/MWh
Operating Cost
NorthWestern Corporation
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (7)Beta
Industry·corporate
Natural gas plant workers get 12% raise
They also saw changes to their travel time, vacation entitlement, and shift premiums.
The Alberta Worker·12 months ago
Industry·corporate
Beyond Local: Cement plant west of Calgary now burning construction material despite local concern
A Lafarge cement plant west of Calgary is burning shredded wood, non-recyclable plastics and asphalt roof shingles, expects to cut natural...
Lafarge (operator)Calgary (other)
Cochrane Eagle·1 years ago
Regulatory·federal policy
Canada should focus on green, not blue, hydrogen
Canada doesn't need a hydrogen policy crafted by the oil and gas industry in Alberta, despite the fact the Kenney government is intent on...
Canada (regulator)Alberta (other)
Policy Options·3 years ago
Industry·technology
Commercializing next-generation nuclear energy technology
Oklo, co-founded by MIT alumni, is using a startup mindset to build a compact, fast nuclear reactor that meets federal regulations.
Oklo (developer)MIT (other)
MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology·5 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 7 articles