LOWER MOLINA POWERPLANT
Lower Molina Powerplant
| Plant Contact: | Donald K. Phillips, Manager, Curecanti Field Division |
| Telephone Numbers: | Phone: (970) 240-6300 Fax: (970) 240-6304 |
| E-Mail Address: | dphillips@uc.usbr.gov |
| Reclamation Region: | Upper Colorado |
| NERC Region: | Western Electricity Coordinating Council, Rocky Mountain Power Area |
| PMA Service Area: | Western Area Power Administration, Colorado River Storage Project Management Center |
| Project Authorization: | The Congress authorized the Collbran Project July 3, 1952, under Public Law 445, 82nd Congress, 2nd Session. |
| Project Purposes: | The Collbran Project, in west-central Colorado, developed a major part of the unused water in Plateau Creek and its principal tributaries. Supplemental irrigation service is furnished and electrical energy is generated for use in west-central Colorado. The project also rehabilitated and modified the operation of 15 small privately owned storage reservoirs on the Grand Mesa in the Cottonwood Creek and Big Creek watersheds. These reservoirs provide water for power generation through exchanging storage water on Grand Mesa for irrigation water from Vega Reservoir. Both the Lower Molina and Upper Molina Powerplants are operated in conjunction with Colorado River Storage Project power operations. |
| Plant Facts: | The Lower Molina penstock extends 4.7 miles from the Molina Equalizing Reservoir to the Lower Molina Powerplant. The penstock consists of steel pipe ranging in diameter from 36 inches at its upper end to 30 inches at the lower section. It has a maximum capacity of 50 cubic feet per second. The single-unit Lower Molina Powerplant has an installed capacity of 4,860 kilowatts at a design head of 1,400 feet and a maximum water discharge of 50 cubic feet per second. Power generated at both power plants is transformed to a transmission voltage of 115 kilovolts at two substations constructed adjacent to the plants. A 5.5-mile transmission line leads from the substation at the Upper Molina Powerplant, delivers energy produced at the plant to the substation at Lower Molina Power, and then connects to Xcel Energy. |
| Plant Purpose: | Electrical energy is generated for use in west-central Colorado. |
| Plant History: | In fiscal year 1992 the unit control system was upgraded. Lower Molina Powerplant installed the UPS system, static exciter, SCADA, and Sy/Max 400 PLC. This reconfigured the plant from local operation to remote. A plant water flow meter was installed in 2001. A new generator circuit breaker and a battery monitoring system were installed in 2002. Lower Molina was shut down during part of the 2002 water year so water could be delivered to a canal at the upper plant. Overall generation from the plant was affected because of the lack of water. A new governor, unit protection and unit control was installed in 2003 |
| Present Activities: | Normal operation |
| Future Planned Activities: | Purchase and install new water wheel and new generator step up transformer. |
| Special Issues: | None |
| River Name: | Plateau Creek |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Pelton Impulse |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 4,860 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 4,860 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1962 |
| Age: | 43 years |
| Net Generation: (FY 2005) |
19,064,550 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 1,400 feet |
| Plant Factor: (FY 2005) |
44.78 percent |
| Remotely Operated: | Yes |
| Production Mode: | Intermediate |
Click here for graphs and charts of Lower Molina Powerplant performance.
Click here for information on the Collbran Project.
Revised December 29, 2005 Hydropower Site Map Help