News Release Archive

Reclamation Awards Contract to Modernize Elevators at the Grand Coulee Dam Third Power Plant

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, jredding@usbr.gov
Lynne Brougher, lbrougher@usbr.gov

For Release: February 14, 2012

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $1.5 million contract to modernize two existing passenger/freight elevators in the Third Power Plant located at Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River about 90 miles east of Spokane, Wash.

Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corporation, Spokane Valley, Wash., was awarded the contract on February 1, 2012. Work involves modernizing the two existing elevators.

"This upgrade will ensure the safety of our employees while also keeping vital equipment in premium working order during the Third Powerplant Overhaul Project," said Mark Jenson, Grand Coulee Project Manager. This refurbishment also includes providing new or upgraded lighting, power receptacles and communication systems, as well as fire detection and alarm system components.

Work is expected to start in May, and be completed by January 2013. Grand Coulee Dam, completed in 1941, is a multi-purpose facility and a key feature of Reclamation's Columbia Basin Project. Power facilities at Grand Coulee Dam include 33 generators in three power plants, a pumping plant and three switchyards. The Project's rated electrical capacity is 6,809,000 kilowatts; making it the largest hydroelectric dam in the U.S., which also provides water to about 600,000 acres in the Columbia Basin Project.

# # #

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.