HUNGRY HORSE
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 428 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Flathead County
- Operator
- U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1952
- EIA plant ID
- 2203
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 730 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 19%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 48.3416, -114.0142
HUNGRY HORSE, a 428 MW Hydro power plant in Flathead County, Montana. Operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned 1952.
How HUNGRY HORSE compares
With 428 MW of capacity, HUNGRY HORSE ranks 4th among the 48 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Montana and 3rd of the 21 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 17% of Montana's operating Hydro capacity and 6.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 51st-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1952, it is older than 76% of the 46 operating Montana plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, runs 3 operating plants in Montana totaling 728 MW. It shares Flathead County with 2 other operating plants, BIG FORK and STOLTZE COGEN1.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 428 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 730 GWh in 2024 (a 19% capacity factor), down 28% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1952 and 1953.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is HUNGRY HORSE (230 kV), about 0.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: BIG FORK (4 MW, Hydro).
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
HUNGRY HORSE is a 428 MW hydro power plant in Flathead County, MT, operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned in 1952. Flathead County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.4 of 5 at the 11th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 95th 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.
Flathead County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 91st | 4.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 50.1 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 46th | 2.8 of 5 | 1.3 |
| Hail | Very Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.33 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 20.8 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 9th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1st | 1.1 of 5 | 0.07 |
Perils not assessed in Flathead 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 Flathead 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.