News Release Archive

Reclamation awards $1.7 million contract

Media Contact: Paula Holwegner, (406) 247-7300, pholwegner@gp.usbr.gov
Michael Odle, modle@gp.usbr.gov

For Release: February 06, 2009

Bureau of Reclamation's Great Plains Regional Director Mike Ryan announced today the award of a $1.7 million contract for powerplant generator circuit breaker replacement work at Yellowtail Powerplant, 90 miles southeast of Billings, Mont. The contract was awarded to Eaton Electrical of Raleigh, N.C.

The company will remove the original 1960-era circuit breakers and install four new breakers. It will take six months to manufacture the breakers for Yellowtail Powerplant and approximately nine months of on-site work to complete the replacement.

"Yellowtail Powerplant is an essential part of the overall Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project for both water delivery and power generation," said Ryan. "These upgrades will help ensure our facilities remain safe and reliable well into the future."

Yellowtail Powerplant in south-central Montana has a capacity of 250,000 kilowatts, which provides low cost power and supplies expanding power needs for residential and commercial use. The powerplant, which began operations in 1967, is managed by the Montana Area Office, which overseas the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project Eastern and Western Divisions, as well as other Reclamation activities across Montana.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

Montana Area Office Home Page