Oregon Hydro Ditches Valve for Quirky Load Bank Swap
Published Date: 5/29/2025
Notice
Summary
Eugene Water & Electric Board wants to swap out a turbine bypass valve for a load bank at their Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project in Oregon. This change affects local rivers and forest land but won’t change power output or costs. The public can share their thoughts or get involved by June 23, 2025.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Load bank to reduce dam spill
The Eugene Water & Electric Board proposes installing an electrical load bank instead of a turbine bypass valve at the Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project to minimize spill from Smith Dam and protect habitat improvement measures in the Smith Bypassed Reach. The load bank would let the Carmen Power Plant continue operating during transmission outages and would dissipate electricity equivalent to the required minimum flow of 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) into Trail Bridge Reservoir. The project area occupies about 574 acres within the Willamette National Forest near McKenzie Bridge in Lane and Linn counties, Oregon.
No change to power output or customer costs
The applicant states that swapping the turbine bypass valve for a load bank will not change the project's power output or customer costs at the Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project. This means the change is not expected to raise electricity prices or alter generation levels for the project.
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