35th largest plant in Montana · 3761st nationally
Colstrip Energy Lp is a coal power plant in Montana with a nameplate capacity of 46.1 MW. It generates roughly 306.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 29,158 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 76% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 2922 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (46.1 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Colstrip Energy Lp |
|---|---|
| Operator | Colstrip Energy Lp |
| City | Colstrip |
| County | Rosebud County |
| State | Montana |
| ZIP | 59323 |
| Coordinates | 45.97520, -106.65470 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Conventional Steam Coal | WC | 46.1 MW | Operating | 1990 |
| CO₂ | 447.3k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 1.2k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 837 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2922 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Northwestern Energy (Nwmt) |
Coal plants burn pulverized coal to boil water and spin steam turbines. They emit substantial CO₂, SO₂, and NOₓ along with mercury and particulate matter. Modern units include scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction; older units are increasingly being retired or converted to natural gas as economics shift.