HARDIN GENERATOR PROJECT
OperatingCoal power plant
- Capacity
- 116 MW
- Primary fuel
- Coal
- County
- Big Horn County
- Operator
- ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2006
- EIA plant ID
- 55749
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Conventional Steam Coal
- Net generation (2024)
- 481 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 47%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 45.7643, -107.5990
HARDIN GENERATOR PROJECT, a 116 MW Coal power plant in Big Horn County, Montana. Operated by ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER INC, commissioned 2006.
How HARDIN GENERATOR PROJECT compares
With 116 MW of capacity, HARDIN GENERATOR PROJECT ranks 11th among the 48 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Montana and 2nd of the 3 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 4.8% of Montana's operating Coal capacity and 1.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 223rd-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 2006, it is newer than 54% of the 46 operating Montana plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Big Horn County with one other operating plant, YELLOWTAIL.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 116 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional steam coal technology. Net generation was 481 GWh in 2024 (a 47% capacity factor), down 3% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is HARDEN, about 0.2 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by NORTHWESTERN ENERGY LLC - (MT), under 0.1 miles away. Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is iConnect Billings Fiber Hotel in Billings, about 44.0 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
HARDIN GENERATOR PROJECT is a 116 MW coal power plant in Big Horn County, MT, operated by ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER INC, commissioned in 2006. Big Horn County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.2 of 5 at the 56th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 97th 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.
Big Horn County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.68 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 62nd | 3.5 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | 2.0 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 32.4 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 21st | 1.8 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 24.4 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.32 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.83 |
Perils not assessed in Big Horn 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 Big Horn 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.