City's hydro power plant now online

Whitefish’s hydroelectric plant above the city’s water-supply reservoir once again began generating power after a new turbine and generator went online last week.

The turbine is currently generating electricity at a rate of about 135 kilowatts, enough to power a few hundred homes, but that number could go up depending on stream flows, Public Works director John Wilson said. The generator has a capacity of 200 kilowatts.

The $600,000 project was paid for with a $200,000 federal grant and a $400,000 pre-payment from Flathead Electric Cooperative for energy to be generated and delivered to the power grid during the first phase.

During Phase 2, Flathead Electric will accept generated energy in exchange for energy delivered to select accounts with the city’s Public Works and Parks Departments.

“We hope to power the city’s water and wastewater facilities,” Wilson said. “We’re excited about using clean energy to do that. It’s a feeling of accomplishment to finally have it online.”

FEC General Manager Ken Sugden says the deal is mutually beneficial.

“Pre-purchasing the energy made the project feasible for Whitefish and gives Flathead Electric another local source of clean energy,” Sugden said.

The hydroelectric facility will operate year-round, Wilson said, and will be monitored by the city’s public works staff.

The water for the hydro plant comes out of Haskill Creek before passing though the hydro generator at the city’s water-supply reservoir off of Reservoir Road. A small 25-square-foot building houses the controls and generator.

The original hydroelectric facility was installed at the city reservoir in 1983, but serious damage occurred to the equipment on two occasions. Within the first few years of its operation, debris entered the turbine and damaged the Pelton wheel. A new Pelton wheel manufactured by a foundry in Anaconda was used at the Whitefish plant, but a lightning strike in 1989 or 1990 burned parts of the generator and put the facility out of operation.