POLE HILL
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 38 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Larimer County
- Operator
- U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1954
- EIA plant ID
- 519
- Coordinates
- 40.3650, -105.3251
POLE HILL, a 38 MW Hydro power plant in Larimer County, Colorado. Operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned 1954.
Weather peril exposure
POLE HILL is a 38 MW hydro power plant in Larimer County, CO, operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned in 1954. Larimer County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.4 of 5 at the 86th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High 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.
Larimer County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively High | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 4.4 |
| Winter weather | Very High | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 22.3 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | 1.3 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 24th | 2.0 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.88 |
| Lightning | Very High | 6th | 1.2 of 5 | 56.9 |
Perils not assessed in Larimer 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 Larimer 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.