HUNGRY HORSE POWERPLANT
Hungry Horse Dam and Powerplant
Hungry Horse Powerplant
| Plant Contact: | Dennis Philmon |
| Telephone Numbers: | Phone: (406) 387-5241 Fax: (406) 387-4012 |
| E-Mail Address: | dphilmon@pn.usbr.gov |
| Reclamation Region: | Pacific Northwest |
| NERC Region: | Western Electricity Coordinating Council, Northwest Power Pool Area |
| PMA Service Area: | Bonneville Power Administration |
| Project Authorization: | The Congress authorized construction of Hungry Horse Dam under Public Law 329, 78th Congress, 2d Session, approved June 5, 1944 (58 Stat. 270). |
| Project Purposes: | Hungry Horse is a key project in the Department of the Interior's long-range program for multiple-purpose development of the water resources of the vast Columbia River drainage basin. The dam creates a large reservoir by withholding water in times of heavy runoff to minimize downstream flooding. This stored water is released for power generation when the natural flow of the river is low. Downstream power benefits are of major importance since more than five times as much power can be produced from water releases downstream than is produced at Hungry Horse Powerplant. Hungry Horse Project creates power benefits that extend from the Continental Divide westward to the Pacific Ocean. At-site production averages about a billion kilowatt-hours annually. The principal power benefit from the project arises from its ability to store water through the spring flood season for later release. In an average year, this water will generate about 4.6 billion kilowatt-hours of power as it passes through a series of downstream powerplants. |
| Plant Facts: | The above ground powerplant building at the base of the dam houses four 107,000 kW hydroelectric generation units. The four steel penstocks are 13.5 feet in diameter and 450 feet long. Maximum operating head is 477 feet with a maximum turbine discharge of 3,150 cubic feet per second for each turbine. A selective withdrawal system is installed in each penstock trashrack to control the temperature of water released for downstream fishery enhancement. |
| Plant Purpose: | Hungry Horse Project creates power benefits that extend from the Continental Divide westward to the Pacific Ocean. The principal power benefit from the project arises from its ability to store water through the spring flood season for later release. |
| Plant History: | The generating units were uprated and overhauled during the period 1990-1993. Capacity of each unit went from 71,250 kW to 107,000 kW. Conversion work for remote operation began in 1994. The switchyard was rebuilt in 1995 and a penstock selective withdrawal system was also installed in 1995. |
| Present Activities: | The spillway ring gate repainting contact was started in FY-2004 and will be completed by the first part of FY-2005. Pre-Engineered Steel Storage Building was constructed in FY-2004. The major portion of security upgrades completed in FY-2004 |
| Future Planned Activities: | Upgrade the powerplant lower road guardrails scheduled for FY-2005. Life Safety Code improvement contract will be awarded in FY-2005 and scheduled to be complete FY-2006. Installation of additional security items scheduled for FY-2006. |
| Special Issues: | In December of 2000 two new Biological Opinion (BO) were implemented for the FCRPS which includes Hungry Horse. One of them was for Bull Trout and the other was for anadromous fish. The BO for Bull Trout put new power plant ramp rate restrictions and minimum flow restrictions on the plant. These restrictions do influence the power production. In March of 2003 the local aluminum plant reduced their production by 66 percent (160 MW) that will influence Hungry Horse’s power production in the future. |
| River: | South Fork Flathead River |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 285,000 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 428,000 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1952 |
| Age: | 53 years |
| Net Generation: (FY 2005) |
884,160,400 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 400 feet |
| Plant Factor: (FY 2005) |
23.74 percent |
| Remotely Operated: | Conversion in progress |
| Production Mode: | Peaking |
Click here for graphs and charts of Hungry Horse Powerplant performance.
Click here for information on Hungry Horse Dam.
Click here for information on the Hungry Horse Project.
Revised June 25, 2007 Hydropower Site Map Help