SPIRIT MOUNTAIN POWERPLANT
Spirit Mountain Powerplant
| Contact: | Bruce Laymon Chief, Operations and Maintenance Division Wyoming Area Office P.O. Box 1630 Mills, WY 82644 |
| Telephone Numbers: | Office Phone: (307) 261-5624 Fax: (307) 261-5683 |
| E-Mail Address: | blaymon@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. |
| 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 Shoshone, Heart Mountain, Buffalo Bill, and Spirit Mountain Powerplants. The system is interconnected with the West Division of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. |
| Plant Purpose: | The primary purpose of the Spirit Mountain Powerplant is to dissipate energy of the water from the pressurized supply conduit from Buffalo Bill Reservoir before it enters the unpressurized supply canal which feeds the Heart Mountain Powerplant and the Heart Mountain Canal. The secondary purpose of the powerplant is to produce electrical power. |
| Plant Facts: | Spirit Mountain Powerplant consists of one 4,500-kilowatt generator. |
| Plant History: | Operation of this plant began in October, 1994. |
| Present Activities: | None |
| Future Planned Activities: | None |
| Special Issues: | This plant cannot operate unless the downstream Shoshone conduit is watered up. As a result of the modification of Buffalo Bill Dam, Buffalo Bill and Shoshone Powerplants were completed in 1992. Due to the Revised Instream Flow Agreement associated with the reconstruction of the dam, winter releases previously discharged from Heart Mountain Powerplant that would have passed through spirit Mountain Powerplant are now made through the two upstream facilities. As a result, Spirit Mountain Powerplant has been operated on a seasonal basis since its completion in 1995. |
| River: | Shoshone River |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 4,500 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 4,500 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1994 |
| Age: | 11 years |
| Net Generation: (FY 2005) |
14,087,500 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 110 feet |
| Plant Factor: (FY 2005) |
36.49 percent |
| Remotely Operated: | Yes |
| Production Mode: | Base Load, Seasonal |
Click here for graphs and charts of Spirit Mountain 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