BLUE MESA
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 86 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Gunnison County
- Operator
- U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1967
- EIA plant ID
- 512
- Generators
- 2
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 247 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 33%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 38.4531, -107.3375
BLUE MESA, an 86 MW Hydro power plant in Gunnison County, Colorado. Operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned 1967.
How BLUE MESA compares
With 86 MW of capacity, BLUE MESA ranks 39th among the 114 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Colorado and 5th of the 39 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 7.5% of Colorado's operating Hydro capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 200th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1967, it is older than 75% of the 111 operating Colorado plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, runs 14 operating plants in Colorado totaling 734 MW.
EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 86 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 247 GWh in 2024 (a 33% capacity factor), about 2 times its 2022 output.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CURECANTI (230 kV), about 10.8 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by WAPA-- WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION, under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 201 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MORROW POINT (173 MW, Hydro).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
BLUE MESA is an 86 MW hydro power plant in Gunnison County, CO, operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned in 1967. Gunnison County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.2 of 5 at the 5th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 94th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Gunnison County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.57 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73rd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56th | 3.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 40.7 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Hail | Very Low | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.12 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 54.7 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.07 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.11 |
Perils not assessed in Gunnison County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Gunnison County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.