COLSTRIP
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 2,272 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Rosebud County
- Operator
- PPL MONTANA LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1984
- EIA plant ID
- 6076
- Generators
- 2
- Technology
- Conventional Steam Coal
- Net generation (2024)
- 9,028 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 62%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 45.8836, -106.6116
COLSTRIP, a 2,272 MW Coal power plant in Rosebud County, Montana. Operated by PPL MONTANA LLC, commissioned 1984.
How COLSTRIP compares
With 2,272 MW of capacity, COLSTRIP is the largest of the 48 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Montana and the largest of the 3 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 93% of Montana's operating Coal capacity and 37% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 23rd-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1984, it is older than 58% of the 46 operating Montana plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, PPL MONTANA LLC, runs 12 operating plants in Montana totaling 2,868 MW. It shares Rosebud County with one other operating plant, COLSTRIP ENERGY LP.
EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 1,647 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional steam coal technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 2,272 MW). Net generation was 9,028 GWh in 2024 (a 62% capacity factor), down 17% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1984 and 1986.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is COLSTRIP (500 kV), about 0.5 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by TONGUE RIVER ELECTRIC COOP INC, about 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: COLSTRIP ENERGY LP (46 MW, Coal).
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
COLSTRIP is a 2,272 MW coal power plant in Rosebud County, MT, operated by PPL MONTANA LLC, commissioned in 1984. Rosebud County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.8 of 5 at the 45th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 98th 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.
Rosebud County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 0.79 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 91st | 4.6 of 5 | 2.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 17.3 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | 0.88 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | 30.3 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 20th | 1.8 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.29 |
Perils not assessed in Rosebud 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 Rosebud 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.