About the Falcon-Amistad Project
The Falcon-Amistad Project consists of two international dams located on the Rio Grande River between Texas and Mexico. The United States and Mexico operate separate powerplants. The water output is divided evenly between the two nations. The State Department’s International Boundary and Water Commission operates the U.S. portion of the projects.
Falcon Dam is located about 130 miles upstream from Brownsville, Texas. Congress authorized the Unites States’ portion of construction, operation and maintenance in 1950. Construction was started in that year and completed in 1954. The United States’ share of Falcon Powerplant capacity is 31,500 kW. The powerplant came online in 1954.
Amistad Dam is located about 300 miles upstream from Falcon Dam. Amistad Powerplant was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers, as agent for the IBWC. The United States’ portion of construction, operation and maintenance was authorized by the Mexican-American Treaty Act of 1950. Amistad Powerplant has a generation capacity of 66,000 kW. Construction was started in 1960 and completed in 1969. Its two generating units came online in 1983.
Current Rate Schedules / Adjustments
- WAPA-216 FERC Approval (PDF)
- FY2024 WAPA-216 Falcon-Amistad Firm Power Formula Rate Extension
- WAPA-216 Firm Electric Service Federal Register Notice (PDF)
Historical Rates / Adjustments
Federal Register Notices
Note: Falcon and Amistad sell energy only. As of June 1983, power purchasers pay an annual fee and receive the entire United States’ share of net energy output of both powerplants.
- Firm Electric Service under Federal Register Notice WAPA-216 (PDF) [federalregister.gov] or Published Final FRN (PDF 182KB)
- Firm Electric Service under Federal Register Notice WAPA-186 (PDF) [federalregister.gov] or Published Final FRN (PDF 254KB)
Rate Schedule
Last modified on January 6th, 2026