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More Energy for Wanapum Dam EPHRATA, WA – Beginning in 2010, Grant PUD will produce more renewable hydropower out of Wanapum Dam as generator upgrades get underway. With well over three million hours of service, and 73 thousand cold starts, the 10 generators at Wanapum Dam need upgrading. The original generating units were installed during dam construction, between 1963 and 1964, and are reaching the end of their useful life. Generators convert mechanical energy or horsepower output from the turbine into electrical energy. Each existing generator at Wanapum Dam produces 103.8 megawatts of power. Installation of new generators, with an increased capacity to convert mechanical energy, will further enhance the power output of Wanapum with Priest Rapids dam, known collectively as the Priest Rapids Project. Grant PUD consultants and engineers completed an extensive technical review, analyzing major components of each of the 10 generators. A parallel economic analysis determined the cost benefit of various upgrade scenarios. The resulting recommendation was to undertake a 122-megawatt per unit upgrade to the existing generators, increasing the yearly average generation by nearly 300,000 megawatt-hours (enough to power about 12,000 homes). Grant PUD commissioners today took action on a nearly $150 million contract with Alstom Hydro US, Inc. for the generator upgrades at Wanapum Dam. Parts for the first generators are expected to begin arriving by mid-2010, and will coincide with the replacement of the seventh turbine at the dam. Remaining turbine installations will be built with upgraded generators. All generators are anticipated to be in place by 2018. The installation of new turbines at Wanapum Dam involves a total redesign of the turbine and its associated components. After years of design work and extensive model testing, the new advanced-design turbine achieves smooth water flow conditions that boost power generation, improve water-use efficiency and has a fish passage survival rate of 97 percent. Commission President, Terry Brewer noted, “The generator upgrades represent a sizeable investment that insures Priest Rapids Project power will increase as we harness the potential of the new turbines. All of our customers will benefit from Grant PUD bringing additional renewable energy resources on line to serve the needs of the Pacific Northwest.” The generator upgrade project is one of the largest capital projects since Wanapum Dam was completed in 1963. The dam was named for the Wanapum Band of Indians who live along the river and work with the utility to ensure the continued protection of natural and cultural resources in the area. Licensed together as the Priest Rapids Project, Grant PUD’s Wanapum and Priest Rapids hydroelectric developments received a new federal license in 2008 for operation through the year 2052. Additional information can be found at www.gcpud.org. # #
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Grant County Public Utility District News Release © 2009