Crystal — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 6159
- Capacity
- 28 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Montrose, CO
- Operating Since
- 1978
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- U S Bureau of Reclamation
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 144,296 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 57.8%
- Balancing Authority
- Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Crystal
OperatingHydro
Ranked #8 of 49 Hydro plants in CO#417 of 1454 nationally
28 MW Hydro operating in Montrose, CO — Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
EIAWD
28 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1978
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
38.5106, -107.6253
County
Montrose, CO
Nearby Plants
- Morrow PointHydro173.2 MW · 9.9 km
- South Canal Hydro-1Hydro4 MW · 11.7 km
- South Canal Hydro-3Hydro3.5 MW · 13.5 km
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 | U S Bureau of Reclamation | — | United States Bureau of Reclamation |
| Owner(s) | U S Bureau of Reclamation | — | United States Bureau of Reclamation |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
No GEM tracker match for this plant — ownership chain unavailable.
About
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
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
Grid Voltage
120.75 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
3.8K MWh
Latest Month
144.3K MWh
Annual Generation
57.8%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (10)Beta
Last updated 2026-03-26
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