VALMONT
Partly retiredCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 251 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Boulder County
- Operator
- PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO
- EIA plant ID
- 477
- Generators
- 1
- Net generation (2024)
- 15.3 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 2.9%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 40.0196, -105.2017
VALMONT, a partly retired 251 MW Coal power plant in Boulder County, Colorado. Most of its capacity was retired, most recently in 2017, according to EIA-860.
How VALMONT compares
EIA-860 lists 59 MW still operable at the site (natural gas fired combustion turbine), against the 251 MW recorded for it. Its operator, PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO, runs 16 operating plants in Colorado totaling 5,892 MW. It shares Boulder County with 7 other operating plants, including VALMONT COMBUSTION TURBINE PROJECT and UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.
Under the same EIA plant code, EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 59 MW of nameplate capacity (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 251 MW). Net generation was 15.3 GWh in 2024 (a 2.9% capacity factor).
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is VALMONT (230 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 21 operating power plants totaling 3,183 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is FORT ST VRAIN (1,149 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 6 mapped data centers; the nearest is Zayo Networks in Louisville, about 4.2 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
VALMONT is a partly retired 251 MW coal power plant in Boulder County, CO, operated by PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF COLORADO. Boulder County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.5 of 5 at the 86th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 95th 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.
Boulder County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively High | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 5.5 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 21.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 0.52 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 62nd | 3.5 of 5 | 0.75 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 32nd | 2.3 of 5 | 1.00 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | 0.31 |
| Lightning | Very High | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 54.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Boulder 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 Boulder 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.