Libby — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 6172
- Capacity
- 525 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Lincoln, MT
- Operating Since
- 1975
- Generators
- 5
- Operator
- USACE Northwestern Division
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 1,890,551 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 40.9%
- Balancing Authority
- Bonneville Power Administration
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Libby
OperatingHydro
Ranked #1 of 23 Hydro plants in MT#48 of 1454 nationally
525 MW Hydro operating in Lincoln, MT — Bonneville Power Administration
EIAGEMWD
525 MW
Nameplate Capacity
5
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1975
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
48.4098, -115.3143
County
Lincoln, 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 | USACE Northwestern Division | US Army Corps of Engineers - Seattle District | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
| Owner(s) | USACE Northwestern Division | US Army Corps of Engineers - Seattle District [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as US Army Corps of Engineers - Seattle District [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Libby Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the northwestern United States, on the Kootenai River in northwestern Montana. Dedicated on August 24, 1975, it is west of the continental divide, seventeen miles (27 km) upstream from the town of Libby.
Read more on WikipediaThe Libby hydroelectric plant, located in Lincoln County, Montana, has a total capacity of 525 MW across five generators. It began operating in 1975 and is owned and operated by the USACE Northwestern Division. The plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology and its primary fuel source is water (WAT). Libby is the largest of six hydroelectric plants in Montana, and ranks 48th out of 194 nationally.
In the most recent year with available data, the plant generated 1,890,551 MWh, achieving a capacity factor of 40.9%. The Libby plant operates within the Bonneville Power Administration balancing authority, and is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Bonneville Power Administration
Grid Voltage
230 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
297.1K MWh
Latest Month
1.9M MWh
Annual Generation
40.9%
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
Regulatory·federal policy
The battle over fish and power in the Columbia River Basin
A federal court has directed federal dam managers to do more to protect fish along the Columbia and Snake river basins.
Hagadone News Network·3 days ago
Hazards·ice storm
Another wind storm batters Northwest Montana, Northern Idaho
Officials still asked for patience with power, road and emergency crews that are dealing with power outages as well as trees and power lines...
Western News·2 weeks ago
Hazards·ice storm
Wind gusts near 100 mph, thousands lose power in winter blast
The Flathead Valley was spared from the worst of a winter storm that knocked out power in southern Lincoln County and buried mountains on...
Daily Inter Lake·2 weeks ago
General
More than 7,000 without power; outages in Bull River area could last days
More than 7000 customers remain without power in Montana on Friday morning as a winter storm continues to impact the state.
NBC Montana·2 weeks ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles