World Power Plants

Elephant Butte27.9 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Elephant Butte is a 27.90 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation since 1939. Ranked #430 of 1,469 hydro plants in the United States, it accounts for 0.02% of the country's total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Elephant Butte 244.5 times smaller. Nearby plants include City of Truth or Consequences PV (1.9 MW, Solar) and Wal-Mart Truth or Consequences PV (1 MW, Solar). The facility is located in New Mexico, approximately 140 km from the city of Albuquerque.

Capacity
27.9 MW
Commissioning Year
1939

87 years old

Owner
U S Bureau of Reclamation
Location
33.1534°, -107.1920°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 3,573. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #17,298 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #3,978 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

87 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

U S Bureau of Reclamation operates 59 plants totalling 15,054 MW

Regional density

6 plants within 100 km, 141 MW combined

Nearest plant: Wal-Mart Truth or Consequences PV (5.4 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 33.153400, -107.192000
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Elephant Butte is a hydro power plant producing approximately 98 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
United States of America
Continent
North America
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

United States of AmericaEnergy Profile

10,098
Total Plants
1420.7 GW
Total Capacity
GasCoalNuclearWind
Top Fuels

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