World Power Plants

Thompson Falls is a 98.1 MW hydroelectric power plant in the United States, operated by NorthWestern Energy since 1915. Ranked #209 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 98.1 MW represents 0.08% of the United States' total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Thompson Falls 69.3 times smaller. Within 50 km, the nearest plant is Noxon Rapids (569.5 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in Montana, approximately 30 km from Missoula.

Capacity
98.1 MW
Commissioning Year
1915

111 years old

Owner
NorthWestern Energy
Location
47.5932°, -115.3582°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 2,223. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #10,449 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #2,350 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
  • 0.01% of the installed capacity of United States of America
Age & fleet comparison

111 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

NorthWestern Energy operates 14 plants totalling 489 MW

Regional density

4 plants within 100 km, 1,567 MW combined

Nearest plant: Noxon Rapids (49.5 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 47.593200, -115.358200
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Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Thompson Falls is a hydro power plant producing approximately 344 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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