Ames Hydro — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 6207
- Capacity
- 3.6 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- San Miguel, CO
- Operating Since
- 1906
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Public Service Co of Colorado
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 548 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 1.7%
- Balancing Authority
- Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Ames Hydro
OperatingHydro
Ranked #29 of 49 Hydro plants in CO#980 of 1454 nationally
3.6 MW Hydro operating in San Miguel, CO — Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
EIAWD
3.6 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1906
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
37.8660, -107.8831
County
San Miguel, CO
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Public Service Co of Colorado | — | — |
| Owner(s) | Public Service Co of Colorado | — | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
No GEM tracker match for this plant — ownership chain unavailable.
About
The Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, constructed in 1890 near Ophir, Colorado, was one of the first commercial system to produce and transmit alternating current (AC) electricity for industrial use and one of the first AC hydro-electric plants ever constructed. It became operational in 1891 and was built by Westinghouse Electric around two of their large alternators. One was set up in the valley as a generator and driven by water. It was connected by a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) transmission line to the second alternator used as a motor up at the Gold King Mine to drive the mining operation. The facility has been changed and upgraded over the years but is still in operation. It is now on the List of IEEE Milestones.
Read more on WikipediaAmes Hydro is a hydroelectric power plant located in San Miguel County, Colorado. The plant has a total capacity of 3.6 MW and is operated by Public Service Co of Colorado. It began operating in 1906 and utilizes a single generator with conventional hydroelectric technology, using water (WAT) as its primary fuel source. Ames Hydro is ranked 29th out of 49 hydroelectric plants in Colorado and 997th nationally out of 1464 plants.
In the most recent year with available data, Ames Hydro generated 548 MWh of electricity, resulting in a capacity factor of 1.7%. The plant operates within the Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region balancing authority and the WECC NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $3,582.38 per kW, as reported to FERC.
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
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
0 MWh
Latest Month
548 MWh
Annual Generation
1.7%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$3,978/kW
Installed Cost
Public Service Company of Colorado
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.