hydroelectric project on schedule for april finish Klamath irrigation district c canal 011912

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Hydroelectric project on schedule for April finish

KID’s C Canal project will sell power to grid

by JOEL ASCHBRENNER, Herald and News 1/19/12

Construction of a hydroelectric project in the Klamath Irrigation District’s C Canal is on schedule and the facility should be online by irrigation season.

Most of the facility’s concrete has been poured and its generator should arrive from China early next month, said KID manager Mark Stuntebeck.

The project — a small dam and generator in the irrigation canal — is expected to produce about 3,000 megawatt -hours of power a year, Stuntebeck said. That’s enough to power about 113 homes a year. The plant should be generating electricity by April.

KID will sell the power back to the grid. Revenue will increase over the years as the district pays down the cost of building the facility. After 25 years, KID could expect to take in $250,000 annually, Stuntebeck said.

The hydroelectric plant is at the irrigation district’s headquarters near the intersection of Highway 39 and Short Road. The Enterprise Hydroelectric Plant in the same location burned down 50 years ago. District officials have been looking to build a new plant for years.

“It’s pretty neat,” Stuntebeck said, of seeing the project come together. “It was a dream of the district to be able to build a hydroelectric plant.

KID could look to build similar facilities in other irrigation canals, Stuntebeck said. Utilizing the Oregon Solar Incentive program, the district installed two 10-kilowatt solar panels last year.

jaschbrenner@heraldandnews.com

Photos courtesy of Todd Kepple

Workers pour concrete on Friday at the Klamath Irrigation District’s C Canal hydroelectric plant. The project is on schedule and the plant should be producing power by April, district officials said.

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