LOWER MOLINA
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 5 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Mesa County
- Operator
- U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1962
- EIA plant ID
- 520
- Coordinates
- 39.1972, -108.0486
LOWER MOLINA, a 5 MW Hydro power plant in Mesa County, Colorado. Operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned 1962.
Weather peril exposure
LOWER MOLINA is a 5 MW hydro power plant in Mesa County, CO, operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned in 1962. Mesa County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.1 of 5 at the 2nd national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 82nd 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.
Mesa County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 25.1 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.33 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 2.6 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 17th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Hail | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.14 |
| Lightning | Very High | 11th | 1.5 of 5 | 51.9 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.10 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.29 |
Perils not assessed in Mesa 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 Mesa 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.