GLEN CANYON POWERPLANT
Glen Canyon Dam and Powerplant
Glen Canyon Dam and Powerplant |
Generators at Glen Canyon Powerplant |
| Plant Contact: | Kenneth D. Rice, II Manager, Glen Canyon Field Division |
| Telephone Numbers: | Phone: (520) 645-0401 Fax: (520) 645-0410 |
| E-Mail Address: | krice@uc.usbr.gov |
| Reclamation Region: | Upper Colorado |
| NERC Region: | Western Electricity Coordinating Council, Rocky Mountain Power Area |
| PMA Service Area: | Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest Region |
| Project Authorization: | The Congress authorized construction of four storage units in the Colorado River Storage Project and 11 participating projects on April 11, 1956, under Public Law 485, 84th Congress, 70 Stat. 105. Additional projects have been added since the original legislation was adopted. |
| Project Purposes: | The Colorado River Storage Project provides for the comprehensive development of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The project furnishes the long-time regulatory storage needed to permit States in the upper basin to meet their flow obligation at Lees Ferry, Arizona, (as defined in the Colorado River Compact) and still use their apportioned water. |
| Plant Facts: | The Glen Canyon Powerplant, at the toe of the dam, consists of eight generators, driven by eight 155,500-horsepower turbines. Total nameplate generating capacity for the powerplant is 1,296,000 kilowatts. Eight penstocks through the dam convey water to the turbines. The Glen Canyon Dam is a 710-foot-high structure which provides more storage capacity than all other storage features of the Colorado River Storage Project combined. The concrete arch dam has a crest length of 1,560 feet and contains 4,901,000 cubic yards of concrete. The dam is 25 feet wide at the crest and 300 feet wide at the maximum base. |
| Plant Purpose: | Generation of hydroelectric power for the project. |
| Plant History: | Generator uprating was completed between 1984 and 1987 and Unit 8 was uprated in 1997. Five generators are rated at 165,000 kW each and three generators are rated at 157,000 kW each. Unit circuit breakers were replaced in 2000. |
| Present Activities: | Penstock recoating. |
| Future Planned Activities: | Unit Penstock recoating has started. Two units will be done each year. |
| Special Issues: | Glen Canyon Powerplant is operating under the Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. Which limits Glen Canyons’ maximum and minimum generation/flow along with limits on up and down ramps. |
| River: | Colorado River |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 950,000 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 1,304,000 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1964 |
| Age: | 41 years |
| Net Generation (FY 2005): |
3,208,591,407 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 510 feet |
| Annual Plant Factor (2005): | 28.27 percent |
| Remotely Operated: | No |
| Production Mode: | Intermediate |
Click here for graphs and charts of Glen Canyon Powerplant performance.
Click here for information on Glen Canyon Dam.
Click here for information on the Colorado River Storage Project.
Revised December 28, 2005 Hydropower Site Map Help