BUFFALO BILL POWERPLANT
Buffalo Bill Powerplant
| Contact: | Susan Kelly Chief, Operations and Maintenance Division Wyoming Area Office P.O. Box 1630 Mills, WY 82644 |
| Telephone Numbers: | Office Phone: (307) 261-5605 Fax: (307) 261-5683 |
| E-Mail Address: | skelly@gp.usbr.gov |
| Reclamation Region: | Great Plains |
| NERC Region: | Western Electricity Coordinating Council, Rocky Mountain Power Area |
| PMA Service Area: | Western Area Power Administration, Rocky Mountain Region |
| Project Authorization: | The Secretary of the Interior authorized the Shoshone Project on February 10, 1904, under authority of the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, and authorized Heart Mountain power development on June 19, 1945, under the provisions of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. |
| Project Purposes: | Floodwaters of the Shoshone River are stored in Buffalo Bill Reservoir for later release for irrigation and power generation. Power is developed at the Buffalo Bill, Spirit Mountain, Shoshone and Heart Mountain Powerplants. The system is interconnected with the West Division of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. |
| Plant Purpose: | Power produced on the project is fed into a grid system, which serves an area extending into three States. |
| Plant Facts: | Buffalo Bill Dam began storing water in 1910. The dam and reservoir are located in a rugged scenic canyon adjacent to a main highway which leads into Yellowstone National Park. |
| Plant History: | In 1992 construction was completed on the dam modification (which raised the dam 25 feet), the new powerplant, and the visitor's center. |
| Present Activities: | A contract was completed in FY 2003 to furnish and install a new 15 kV vacuum circuit breaker to replace a failed and disconnected switch on the power transformer ring bus. |
| Future Planned Activities: | None |
| Special Issues: | None |
| River: | Shoshone River |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 18,000 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 18,000 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1992 |
| Age: | 13 years |
| Net Generation: (FY 2005) |
56,288,100 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 266 feet |
| Plant Factor: (FY 2005) |
35.91 percent |
| Remotely Operated: | Yes |
| Production Mode: | Intermediate |
Click here for graphs and charts of Buffalo Bill Powerplant performance.
Click here for information on the Buffalo Bill Dam.
Click here for information on the Shoshone Project.
Revised December 30, 2005 Hydropower Site Map Help