History
Construction of Fremont Canyon Power Plant and power conduit began in 1956 and was completed in 1961. The plant had an original installed capacity of 48,000 kilowatts, and was uprated between 1986 and 1990, through the installation of new generator windings and turbines, to its current installed rating of 66,800 kilowatts.
The Glendo Unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program was authorized by the Flood Control Act of December 22, 1944, Public Law 534, which approved the general plan set forth in Senate Document 191, as revised and coordinated by Senate Document 247, 78th Congress, 2d Session. The project was reauthorized by Public Law 503, 83d Congress, on July 16, 1954.
The Glendo Unit is a multi-purpose project. The unit furnishes a maximum of 40,000 acre-feet of water annually from Glendo Reservoir for irrigation in Wyoming and Nebraska. Glendo and Fremont Canyon Power plants supply electrical power to Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. The unit provides irrigation, power generation, flood control, fish and wildlife enhancement, recreation, sediment retention, and pollution abatement. It also improves the quality of municipal and industrial water supply in the North Platte River Valley between Gray Reef Dam and Glendo Reservoir.
Plan
The power plant generates power during releases of stored water from Pathfinder Reservoir of the North Platte Project. Construction of Fremont Canyon Power Plant and power conduit began in 1956 and was completed in 1961. The plant had an original installed capacity of 48,000 kilowatts, and was uprated between 1986 and 1990, through the installation of new generator windings and turbines, to its current installed rating of 66,800 kilowatts. Design of the replacement CO2 fire suppression system for the two generating units was completed in FY 2002. The contract was awarded in early FY 2003 and will be completed in FY 2004. Unit 1 power cables from the transformer to the unit breaker were replaced in FY 2003 when it was determined during high potential testing that the potheads were leaking. A replacement wicket gate greasing system was designed in FY 2004 and the new system will be installed in FY 2005. The availability factor was low and scheduled outage factor was high between FY-1986 and FY-1990, due to the units being up rated and new turbines being installed. Because of low water conditions in FY-1991, FY-1992, FY-1993, and FY-1994, extensive cavitation damage required lengthy annual welding repair. The availability factor low and the scheduled outage factor high in fiscal year 2002 were due to significant draft tube and runner cavitation repairs to Unit 2 plus interruption of annual maintenance to complete critical maintenance at other facilities. A new, low flow outlet at Pathfinder Dam was completed in 1997.This new outlet works will allow restoration of year-round flows to 4 miles of river between the Dam and Fremont Canyon Power Plant when necessary river access and operation agreements have been established. The Fremont Canyon Power Plant consists of two hydraulic turbine-driven generators, with a combined capacity of 66,800 kilowatts. Water for power generation is conveyed to the powerplant by a 3-mile-long 18-foot-diameter, concrete-lined pressure tunnel. The tunnel branches to two 10.75-foot-diameter penstocks upstream of the power plant. This conduit is controlled by a 14- by 18-foot fixed-wheel gate located 243 feet downstream from the inlet.
