Power Plants in Colorado

Colorado's generating fleet holds 23.6 gigawatts of nameplate capacity as of August 2026, ranking 22nd of the 50 states and DC. Natural gas accounts for 38% of the state's capacity, wind for 24.8%, and solar for 15.8%. Coal makes up 14.5%, with the remainder split among hydro at 5%, battery storage at 0.9%, and other sources at 0.8%. The 329 plants counted here reflect everything the Energy Information Administration tracks, including small backup generators; capacity, not the number of installations, measures fleet size.

The largest plants are Craig in Moffat County, a coal facility with 1,428 megawatts online since 1979, and Comanche in Pueblo County, a coal plant with 1,253 megawatts first operated in 1975. Fort St Vrain, a natural gas station in Weld County, holds 1,149 megawatts and came online in 1996. Cherokee, a natural gas plant in Adams County with 1,006 megawatts, has operated since 1968. Rawhide, also natural gas, sits in Larimer County with 800 megawatts and entered service in 1984.

The fleet spans more than a century, from Tacoma, which came online in June 1905, to Canyon Peak Power Station, which began operation in August 2026. This equipment could produce its full capacity running flat out; it is not generation, which describes what was actually produced over time and differs sharply by fuel type.