PAWNEE
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 552 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Morgan County
- Operator
- PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1981
- EIA plant ID
- 6248
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Conventional Steam Coal
- Net generation (2024)
- 2,168 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 45%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 40.2198, -103.6783
PAWNEE, a 552 MW Coal power plant in Morgan County, Colorado. Operated by PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO, commissioned 1981.
How PAWNEE compares
With 552 MW of capacity, PAWNEE ranks 6th among the 114 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Colorado and 4th of the 9 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 9.2% of Colorado's operating Coal capacity and 3.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 157th-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1981, it is older than 63% of the 111 operating Colorado plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO, runs 16 operating plants in Colorado totaling 5,892 MW. It shares Morgan County with 3 other operating plants, including MANCHIEF ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION and BRUSH GENERATION FACILITY.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 552 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional steam coal technology. Net generation was 2,168 GWh in 2024 (a 45% capacity factor), down 13% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is PAWNEE (345 kV), about 0.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 3 operating power plants totaling 603 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MANCHIEF ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION (300 MW, Natural Gas).
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
PAWNEE is a 552 MW coal power plant in Morgan County, CO, operated by PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO, commissioned in 1981. Morgan County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.7 of 5 at the 92nd national percentile. Tornado is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 96th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a coal plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Morgan County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | 1.8 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 6.8 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | 1.2 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 9.6 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 32nd | 2.3 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | 0.58 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 48.9 |
Perils not assessed in Morgan 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 Morgan 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.