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Hydropower
Overview
Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) was completed in 1963, as a feature of the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP). Among the underlying purposes of the project authorized by the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956, is the generation of hydroelectric power.
Hydropower is a clean, renewable, and reliable energy source that contributes between eight and 12 percent of the United States' electrical generation and serves nearly 35 million residential customers. It is used to follow fluctuating electrical demand, or peaking power, while the larger, less-flexible coal and nuclear resources provide baseload power. Hydropower facilities are ideal for following rapid changes in electrical demand because they can be quickly adjusted to meet these changes.
Glen Canyon Dam is the largest generating facility of the CRSP. The dam's eight generators can produce up to 1,320 megawatts, enough electricity to serve 1.3 million residential customers. The integration of hydropower and other resources provides an efficient and flexible operation of this region's electrical resources. Releases of water from Glen Canyon Dam are adjusted in part to accommodate daily and seasonal peak power demands.
Western Area Power Administration
Western, a power marketing administration within the Department of Energy, was created with the passage of the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (DOE Act). The DOE Act transferred the power marketing and transmission functions from the Secretary of the Interior (Bureau of Reclamation [Reclamation]) to the Secretary of Energy, acting through Western.
Western’s mission is to sell and deliver electricity that is in excess of project uses (power that is required for the operation of Congressionally-authorized projects) generated from power plants that were built as part of certain Federal water projects. Western’s Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP-MC) is responsible for marketing power from the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP), Collbran Project, Rio Grande Project, and Provo River Project. Most of the power plants are located on the Upper Colorado River and its tributaries. CRSP includes Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, Morrow Point, Blue Mesa, and Crystal Dams. On October 1, 1987, the CRSP, Collbran, and Rio Grande projects were integrated for marketing and rate-making purposes and are collectively known as the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP).
Western’s power marketing responsibility begins at the switchyard of federal hydroelectric power facilities and includes the federal transmission system to interconnected utility systems. The hydroelectric projects of the SLCA/IP are operated by Reclamation. Reclamation manages and releases water in accordance with the various laws authorizing specific projects and with other enabling legislation. Western’s capacity and energy sales must conform to the laws that govern its sale of electrical power. Western’s hydropower operations at each facility comply with minimum and maximum flows and other constraints set by Reclamation or other operating agencies, acting in accordance with law or policy.
Briefly, Reclamation sets monthly and annual release volumes, in consultation with the Colorado River Basin states, to meet water delivery and storage requirements and for purposes consistent with laws and statutes collectively known as “The Law of the River.” Western schedules hourly releases in conformance with the monthly water volumes and to meet contractual obligations for the delivery of electrical power. From 1963 to 1990, power plant operations were constrained by a minimum flow of 1,000 cfs during the winter months and 3,000 cfs during the summer white water rafting season. Hourly operations above these minimum values in accordance with Reclamation’s monthly flow targets were set in order to meet contractual requirements for power delivery and the CRSP ’s requirement to maximize the “amount of power and energy that can be sold at firm power and energy rates.”
In 1990, test flows were conducted at GCD to evaluate resource responses to a variety of discharge parameters and to provide data for preparation of an EIS regarding the operation of GCD. These were followed in 1991 by Interim Flows. With the exception of hourly up ramping restrictions of 2,500 cfs and maximum power release of 20,000 cfs, interim flows followed the constraints of the record of decision flows discussed below. Parameters such as minimum flows, maximum flows, ramp rates, and allowable daily fluctuations were designed to protect downstream resources until completion of the final EIS and record of decision. These interim flows significantly constrained power operations at GCD and were continued while the EIS was prepared on the operation of GCD. In 1996, the Secretary of the Interior signed the Record of Decision (ROD) and in 1997 new operating criteria were signed by the Secretary. These operational constraints significantly reduced the overall effectiveness of scheduling water to meet electrical demand by approximately one-third. Glen Canyon Dam generates 70% of the total CRSP electrical generation. The decreased capability resulting from environmental constraints significantly impacted Western and its customers.
Western is required to purchase power to meet contractual obligations. Decreased hydrology due to drought scenarios and environmental constraints implemented in the last 10 to 20 years limit Western’s ability to generate enough electricity to meet its contractual obligations with its customers. When this occurs, Western must purchase electrical power on the wholesale market at market rates, which can vary dramatically. During extended drought scenarios Western is unable to continue purchasing power without passing those costs directly through to its customers. Western periodically undergoes a public rate-setting process that is published in the Federal Register. Along with other statutory and legal requirements, this rate incorporates repayment of construction costs of the CRSP project with interest, as well as the majority of the irrigation investment, and operation and maintenance costs of the project. The most recent rate setting process (October 2005 - October 2009) has resulted in a 30 percent increase.
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