Thompson Falls — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 2195
- Capacity
- 98.1 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Sanders, MT
- Operating Since
- 1915
- Generators
- 7
- Operator
- NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro)
- Parent Company
- NorthWestern Energy Group
- Annual Generation
- 436,437 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 50.6%
- Balancing Authority
- NorthWestern Energy (NWMT)
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Thompson Falls
OperatingHydro
Ranked #7 of 23 Hydro plants in MT#196 of 1454 nationally
98.1 MW Hydro operating in Sanders, MT — NorthWestern Energy (NWMT)
EIAGEMWD
98.1 MW
Nameplate Capacity
7
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1915
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
47.5932, -115.3582
County
Sanders, MT
Ownership & Operator
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 | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | NorthWestern Energy | — |
| Owner(s) | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | NorthWestern Energy Group | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
Thompson Falls Dam is a dam in Sanders County, Montana, in the northwestern part of the state.
Read more on WikipediaThe Thompson Falls hydroelectric plant is located in Sanders County, Montana. It is owned and operated by NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro), a subsidiary of NorthWestern Energy Group. The plant has a total capacity of 98.1 MW consisting of 7 generators utilizing conventional hydroelectric technology. Thompson Falls began operating in 1915 and is the 7th largest power plant in Montana out of 23, and the 196th largest in the United States out of 1464 plants.
In the most recent year with available data, Thompson Falls generated 436,437 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 50.6%. The plant operates within the NorthWestern Energy (NWMT) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $1,014,771.12 per kW, according to FERC filings.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
NorthWestern Energy (NWMT)
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
34.2K MWh
Latest Month
436.4K MWh
Annual Generation
50.6%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$1,032/kW
Installed Cost
$3.5/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 (10)Beta
Grid·outage
Thousands remain without power across Montana on Friday
More than 18000 customers remain without power across Montana Friday morning, and some outages could continue until Monday.
NBC Montana·3 months ago
Hazards·windstorm
Windstorm aftermath: Thousands still without power, Gianforte declares wind disaster
The largest outages persisted in northwest Montana, where Flathead Electric Cooperative's outage map showed more than 13000 of its members...
Flathead Electric Cooperative (operator)
Bozeman Daily Chronicle·3 months ago
Grid·outage
Power outages in western Montana amid extreme weather conditions
Several thousand customers are without power in Western Montana on Wednesday morning to due extreme wind gusts and weather conditions taking...
News-Graphic.com·3 months ago
Grid·outage
Thousands still without power in hard hit corners of the state
Strong winds from a cold front wreak havoc across Montana, leaving thousands without power and causing travel disruptions.
Newstalk KGVO·3 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles