Hayden

Coal power plant in Colorado, United States of America. Approximate location 40.4856, -107.185.

CoalColoradoUnited States of America

Hayden is a 447 MW coal power station in Colorado, United States of America. It is operated by Public Service Co of Colorado. Based on reported annual generation of 2,571 GWh, it can supply roughly 735k homes. It ranks #1357 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1971, it is around 55 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

447Source-backed capacity
2,571GWh reported / yr
734,514homes powered
1971commissioned (~55 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0000525.

Data status

Known data

FacilityHayden WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Colorado WRI
Coordinates40.4856, -107.185 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity447 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerPublic Service Co of Colorado WRI
Commissioned1971 WRI
GWh reported / yr2,571 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions2,570,800 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#1357 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#440 of 802 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.80× · 558 MW median · 802 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent734,514 calculated from reported generation
Climate4.6°C · HDD 4,858 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 29/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 operating-unit sum (location L100000103809); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 447 MW, Hayden is below the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2013: 3,174 GWh20132014: 3,157 GWh20142015: 2,877 GWh20152016: 2,412 GWh20162017: 2,599 GWh20172018: 2,324 GWh20182019: 2,571 GWh20193k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Public Service Co of Colorado. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 40.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

4.6°Cannual mean temp
4,858heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
2,126 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -8 °CJF: -6 °CFM: -1 °CMA: 4 °CAM: 9 °CMJ: 14 °CJJ: 18 °CJA: 17 °CAS: 12 °CSO: 6 °CON: -2 °CND: -8 °CD18 °C

Heating degree-days here run 98% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 93/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
29/100environmental-severity index
25.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
1159 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #440 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 40.4856, -107.185 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Hayden?

Hayden is a 447 MW source-record coal power plant in Colorado, United States of America, commissioned in 1971.

How much electricity does Hayden generate?

Hayden generates about 2,571 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Hayden power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 734,514 homes.

Who operates Hayden?

Hayden is operated by Public Service Co of Colorado.

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