| Paute Dam | |
| Dam Crosses: | Paute River |
| Location: | Paute, Ecuador |
| Dam Type: | Arch-gravity dam |
| Dam Length: | 420m (1,380feet) |
| Dam Volume: | 11882190NaN0 |
| Plant Hydraulic Head: | Phase AB: 650m (2,130feet) Phase C: 657m (2,156feet) |
| Spillway Type: | Gate-controlled overflow |
| Spillway Capacity: | 7724m3/s |
| Construction Began: | 1976 |
| Opening: | 1983 |
| Operator: | CELEC |
| Res Name: | Paute Reservoir |
| Res Capacity Total: | 120e6m3 |
| Res Capacity Active: | 100e6m3 |
| Plant Turbines: | Phase AB: 5 x 100MW Pelton-type Phase C: 5 x 115MW Pelton-type |
| Plant Capacity: | 1075MW[1] |
| Plant Commission: | Phase AB: 1983 Phase C: 1991 |
| Location Map: | Ecuador |
| Coordinates: | -2.5861°N -78.5583°W |
The Paute Dam, also known as the Daniel Palacios Dam and the Amaluza Dam, is a hydroelectric dam in Ecuador. It is located on the Paute River, 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 by Thyssenkrupp AG on the Paute River and designed on the premise that it would be erected downstream of the Mazar Dam. The Paute Dam's supports the Molina Power Station. In late 2009, low water levels at the dam were the primary cause of an electricity crisis in Ecuador.