This is a list of electric power generation stations in the U.S. state of Colorado, sorted by type and name. In 2024, Colorado has a total summer capacity of 19.8 GW through all of its power plants, and net generation of 58,798 GWh. In 2025 the electrical energy generation mix was 31.9% natural gas, 30.2% wind, 24.7% coal, 9.8% solar, 3.3% hydroelectric, and 0.1% biomass.
Small-scale solar, including customer-owned photovoltaic panels, delivered an additional net 2,233 GWh to Colorado's electricity grid in 2025. This compares as about 40 percent of the amount generated by the state's utility-scale photovoltaic plants. In 2004, Colorado became the first state with a voter-approved renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The RPS requires 30% of electricity sold by investor-owned utilities to come from renewable energy sources by 2020, with 3% from distributed generation.
Wind turbines on Colorado's high eastern plains are productive year-round and continued to proliferate in 2021. Coal has been undergoing replacement with natural gas and renewables in the state's electricity portfolio. Half of the coal mined in Colorado was exported in 2019, and extraction of the states's oil and gas reserves increased to record-high levels.
As coal power plants are closed and some new solar projects delayed, a 270 MW shortfall was projected for the 2024 peak summer load.
Nuclear power stations The Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Power Plant generated 330 MW of electricity during years 1976 to 1989. Decommissioning and removal of the nuclear components was completed in 1992. The first natural gas combustion turbine was installed in 1995. Colorado had no utility-scale plants that used fissile material as a fuel in 2022.
Fossil-fuel power stations Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.
Coal-fired Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Yearcompleted Scheduled retirement Refs Comanche Generating Station Pueblo County 1973 - Unit 11975 - Unit 22010 - Unit 3 2022 - Unit 12025 - Unit 22031 - Unit 3 Craig Generating Station Moffat County 1981 - Unit 11979 - Unit 21984 - Unit 3 2025 - Unit 12028 - Unit 22029 - Unit 3 Pawnee Generating Station Morgan County 1981 2025 Hayden Generating Station Routt County 1965 - Unit 11976 - Unit 2 2028 - Unit 12027 - Unit 2 Rawhide Energy Station Larimer County 1984 2030 Ray D Nixon Power Plant El Paso County 1980 2030 Martin Drake Power Plant El Paso County 1968 - Unit 61974 - Unit 7 2021 - closed Nucla Station Montrose County 1959 - Units 1-31991 - Unit 4 2019 - closed Lamar Station Prowers County 2008 2011 - closed
Natural gas-fired Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Generationtype Yearcompleted Refs Fort St. Vrain Generating Station Weld County 3x1 combined cycle,simple cycle (x2) 1996-2001/2009 Cherokee Generating Station Adams County Steam turbine,2x1 combined cycle 1968/2015 Rocky Mountain Generating Station Weld County 2x1 combined cycle 2004 Front Range Power Plant El Paso County 2x1 combined cycle 2003 Pueblo Airport Generating Station Pueblo County 2x1 combined cycle (x2)Simple cycle (x3) 2012 Rawhide Energy Station Larimer County Simple cycle (x5) 2002/2004/2008 Brush Generating Station Morgan County 1x1 combined cycle (x2)2x1 combined cycle,Simple cycle 1990/1994/1999-2002 Manchief Generating Station Morgan County Simple cycle (x2) 2000 Spindle Hill Energy Center Weld County Simple cycle (x2) 2007 J M Shafer Generating Station Weld County 5x2 combined cycle 2012 Blue Spruce Energy Center AdamsCounty Simple cycle (x2) 2003 Plains End Power Plant (I & II) Jefferson County Reciprocating engine (x34) 2002/2008 Fountain Valley Power Facility El Paso County Simple cycle (x6) 2001 Valmont Generating Station Boulder County Simple cycle (x3) 1973/2000 Knutson Power Plant Adams County Simple cycle (x2) 2002 Limon Generating Station Lincoln County Simple cycle (x2) 2002 Arapahoe Combustion Turbine Denver County 3x1 combined cycle 2000-2002 Fort Lupton Generating Station Weld County Simple cycle (x2) 1972 Rifle Generating Station Garfield County 3x1 combined cycle 1986 Ray D Nixon Power Plant El Paso County Simple cycle (x2) 1999 George Birdsall Plant El Paso County Steam turbine (x3) 1953-1954/1957 Colorado Energy Nations Plant Jefferson County Steam turbine (x3) 1976-1977/1983 UC Boulder Power Plant Boulder County 2x1 combined cycle 1992 Williams Ignacio Gas Plant La Plata County Steam turbineORC generator 19842014 OREG IV Peetz Logan County ORC generator 2009 Waste heat recovery from gas turbines that are used to compress natural gas.
Petroleum-fired Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Generationtype Yearcompleted Refs Burlington Kit Carson County Simple cycle (x2) 1977 La Junta Otero County Reciprocating engine (x7) 1939/1942/1958/1962/1970 Airport Industrial Pueblo County Reciprocating engine (x4) 2002 Rocky Ford Otero County Reciprocating engine (x5) 1964 Pueblo Pueblo County Reciprocating engine (x4) 1964 Trinidad Las Animas County Reciprocating engine (x3) 1999 Las Animas Bent County Reciprocating engine (x5) 1941/1951/1967
Renewable power stations Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration serves as a general reference.
Biomass Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Fuel Generationtype Yearcompleted Refs DADS Gas Recovery Arapahoe County 2.8 Landfill gas Reciprocating engine (x4) 2008 Eagle Valley Clean Energy Eagle County 12.6 Wood/wood waste Steam turbine 2013 Front Range Project Weld County 3.1 Landfill gas Reciprocating engine (x1) 2011 Metro Wastewater Reclamation Denver County 9.8 Biogas Reciprocating engine (x4)Single cycle (x2) 19852000
Hydroelectric
Note: This list excludes Colorado's pumped-storage hydroelectric facilities (see Pumped storage).
Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Yearcompleted Refs Morrow Point Power Plant Montrose County 1968 Flatiron Power Plant Larimer County 1954 Blue Mesa Power Plant Gunnison County 1966 Estes Power Plant Larimer County 1950 Pole Hill Power Plant Larimer County 1954 Crystal Power Plant Montrose County 1977 Tesla Hydro Power Plant El Paso County 1997 Green Mountain Powerplant Summit County 1943 Shoshone Generating Station Garfield County 1909 Towaoc Powerplant Montezuma County 1993 Upper Molina Powerplant Mesa County 1962 Marys Lake Power Plant Larimer County 1951 Ridgway Dam Hydropower Project Ouray County 2014 Gross Hydro Plant Boulder County 1954 James W. Broderick Hydro Plant Pueblo County 2019 Manitou Hydro Power Plant El Paso County 1905 Ruedi Power Plant Pitkin County 1985 Vinelands Power Plant Mesa County 2022 Lower Molina Powerplant Mesa County 1962 Tacoma Power Plant La Plata County 1906 Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant San Miguel County 1906 Carter Lake Hydroelectric Project Larimer County 2012 Taylor Draw Hydroelectric Facility Rio Blanco County 1993 Georgetown Hydro Generating Plant Clear Creek County 1903 McPhee Dam Powerplant Montezuma County 1992 Strontia Springs Hydro Plant Douglas County 1986 Ouray Hydroelectric Power Plant Ouray County 1890 Smuggler-Union Hydro Power Plant San Miguel County 1907
Wind farms
Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Yearcompleted Refs Limon Wind Energy Center Lincoln County 2014 Rush Creek Wind Project Elbert County 2018 Cedar Creek Wind Farm Weld County 2011 Cheyenne Ridge Wind Farm Lincoln County 498.4 2020 Peetz Table Wind Complex Logan County 2007 Bronco Plains Wind Kit Carson County 2020 Cedar Point Wind Farm Lincoln County 2011 Golden West Wind Energy Center El Paso County 2015 Heritage Dairy Wind Farm Yuma County 2016 Northern Colorado Wind Energy Center Logan County 2009 Mountain Breeze Wind Weld County 2021 Colorado Green Wind Power Project Prowers County 2003 Carousel Wind Energy Center Kit Carson County 2015 Spring Canyon Wind Farm Logan County 2014 Crossing Trails Wind Farm Kit Carson County 2021 Colorado Highlands Wind Farm Logan County 2013 Twin Buttes Wind Project Bent County 2007 Twin Buttes Wind II Project Prowers County 2018 Peak View Wind Farm Huerfano County 2017 Busch Ranch II Wind Project Huerfano and Las Animas counties 2019 Kit Carson Wind Farm Kit Carson County 2017 Huerfano River Wind Farm Huerfano County 2013
Solar farms
Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MWAC) Yearcompleted Refs Bighorn Solar Project Pueblo County 2022 Sun Mountain Solar 1Pueblo County 2022 Comanche Solar Project Pueblo County 2016 Palmer Solar Project El Paso County 2020 Hooper Solar PV Power Plant Alamosa County 2015 Colorado gets massive boost in solar power capacity, Denver Business Journal, Dec 23, 2015 Grazing Yak Solar Project El Paso County 2019 Rawhide Flats Bison Solar Plant Larimer County 2016 Bison Solar San Isabel Solar Energy Center Las Animas County 2016 Alamosa Solar Generating Project Alamosa County 2012 San Luis Valley Solar Ranch Alamosa County 2011 San Luis Valley Solar Ranch Fact Sheet - archived Greater Sandhill Solar Plant Alamosa County 2010 SR Platte Rattlesnake Solar Farm Weld County 2017 Platte SolarRattlesnake SR Fort Lupton Solar Farm Weld County 2016 Fort Lupton SolarSR Fort Lupton Solar Victory Solar Facility Adams County 2016 Victory Solar Clear Spring Ranch Solar Array El Paso County 2016 Clear Spring Solar Denver Int'l Airport Solar Project Denver County 2014 10MWDCFourth Solar Array Opens at Denver International Airport June 18, 2014 Alamosa Photovoltaic Power Plant Alamosa County 2007 SR Mavericks Solar Farm Weld County 2016 Mavericks SolarSR Mavericks Solar SR Skylark Solar Farm (A&B) Weld County 2016 Skylark Solar Air Force Academy Solar Farm El Paso County 2011 Colorado State Univ. Solar Farm Larimer County 2010 Valley View Solar Farm Weld County 2015 Valley View Solar SR Kersey Platte Valley Solar Farm Weld County 2017 Kersey SolarPlatte Valley Solar Fort Carson Army Base Solar Farm El Paso County 2010 Rifle Energy Innovation Plant Garfield County 2009 Garfield Airport Solar Array Garfield County CRMS Solar Farm Garfield County CRMS Solar FarmMajor Solar Projects
Storage power stations
Battery storage Name Location Coordinates Dischargecapacity(MW) Yearcompleted Refs Fort Carson BESS El Paso County 2018 I-25 Battery Storage Weld County 2018 DOE Golden NWTC Hybrid Jefferson County 2019 Panasonic Carport Solar Hybrid Adams County 2017
Pumped storage Name Location Coordinates Capacity(MW) Yearcompleted Refs Cabin Creek Generating Station Clear Creek County 1967 Mount Elbert Powerplant Lake County 1981 Flatiron Power Plant Larimer County 1954
See also
Bibliography of Colorado Geography of Colorado History of Colorado Index of Colorado-related articles List of Colorado-related lists Outline of Colorado
References
External links
United States Energy Information Administration