GLENDO POWERPLANT
Glendo Powerplant
| Contact: | Susan Kelly Chief, Operations and Maintenance Division Wyoming Area Office P.O. Box 1630, Mills, WY 82644 |
| Telephone Numbers: | 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 Glendo Unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project 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. |
| Project Purposes: | 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 Powerplants 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. |
| Plant Purpose: | Addition of Glendo Unit power generation facilities increases available power in the North Platte River Basin by about 500 million kilowatt-hours annually. This increase comes principally from the Glendo and Fremont Canyon Powerplants, however, some of the gain is due to the conversion of the Alcova Powerplant from seasonal to year-round operation made possible by the regulation afforded by Glendo Reservoir. |
| Plant Facts: | Glendo Dam is a zoned earthfill structure on the North Platte River. The embankment 190 feet high and 2,096 feet long along the crest. An uncontrolled concrete spillway 45 feet wide is located about 450 feet north of the right abutment of the dam. The Glendo Powerplant is joined to the Glendo Reservoir by a diversion tunnel 21 feet in diameter and 2,100 feet long.
Glendo Powerplant is operated on a seasonal basis during the release of irrigation flows to satisfy downstream demands on the North Platte River in Wyoming and Nebraska. |
| Plant History: | Construction of Glendo Dam and Powerplant began in 1954 and was completed in 1958. The plant had an original installed capacity of 24,000 kilowatts and was uprated between 1980-84 to its present installed capacity of 38,000 kilowatts by replacing turbines and windings. |
| Present Activities: | 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 2005. |
| Future Planned Activities: | A replacement wicket gate greasing system was designed in FY 2004 and the new system will be installed in FY 2005. |
| Special Issues: | In 1993, a low-flow bypass at Glendo Dam was made operational to restore year-round flows to 22 miles of downstream river. Main power transformer KY1A was replaced in 1998. |
| River: | North Platte River |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 24,000 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 38,000 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1958 |
| Age: | 47 years |
| Net Generation: (FY 2005) |
55,640,430 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 100 feet |
| Plant Factor: (FY 2005) |
17.11 percent (seasonal) |
| Remotely Operated: | Yes |
| Production Mode: | Intermediate |
Click here for graphs and charts of Glendo Powerplant performance.
Click here for information on the Glendo Dam.
Click here for information on the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project - Glendo Unit.
Revised December 30, 2005 Hydropower Site Map Help