2nd largest plant in Colorado · 216th nationally
Comanche (Co) is a coal power plant in Colorado with a nameplate capacity of 1,253 MW. It generates roughly 6.8M MWh per year — enough to power about 644,564 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 62% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 2265 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 (1,253 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 | Comanche (Co) |
|---|---|
| Operator | Public Service Co Of Colorado |
| City | Pueblo |
| County | Pueblo County |
| State | Colorado |
| ZIP | 81006 |
| Coordinates | 38.20810, -104.57470 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 857 MW | Operating | 2010 |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 396 MW | Operating | 1975 |
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 383 MW | Retired | 1973 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co Of Colorado | Denver, CO | 6667.0% |
| Core Electric Cooperative | Sedalia, CO | 2533.0% |
| Holy Cross Electric Assn, Inc | Glenwood Springs, CO | 800.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| CO₂ | 7.7M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 3.2k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 3.3k metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2265 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 | Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region |
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.