| Paute Dam | |
|---|---|
| Location | Paute, Ecuador |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction began | 1976 |
| Opening date | 1983 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Arch-gravity dam |
| Height | 170 m (558 ft) |
| Length | 420 m (1,378 ft) |
| Impounds | Paute River |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Paute Reservoir |
| Capacity | 120,000,000 m3 (4.2×109 cu ft) |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 1,075 MW |
The Paute Dam, also known as the Daniel Palacios Dam and the Amaluza Dam, is the largest hydroelectric dam in Ecuador. It is located on the Paute River, 125 km from Cuenca. After the privatization of power generation that began in 1996 under the government of Sixto Durán Ballén, the dam passed into the hands of the company Hidropaute SA and then returned to state ownership during the government of Rafael Correa when Hidropaute became part of the Ecuador Electricity Corporation (Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador, CELEC).
Paute was constructed between 1976 and 1983 on the Paute River and designed on the premise that it would be erected upstream of the Mazar Dam. In late 2009, low water levels at the dam were the primary cause of an electricity crisis in Ecuador.