The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
By Kendra Walker
Local electric cooperative Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) has a new way of generating energy for the Gunnison Valley with the recent completion of its Taylor River Hydropower construction project. GCEA and the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association (UVWUA) commemorated the completion of the plant’s construction phase last week with a ribbon cutting ceremony, and plan to begin commercial power production around September 20.
The $3.6 million project located at the Taylor Park Dam is a partnership between GCEA and the UVWUA. The new 500-kilowatt (kW) hydroelectric turbine and generator at the site will operate at or near full capacity 24 hours a day, year round, to produce an average of 3.8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually. That amount of generation compares to some 2,500 kW (2.5 megawatt) fixed tilt-solar arrays and, according to GCEA strategy execution specialist Matt Feier, will provide clean electricity to approximately 500 local homes and businesses in Gunnison County.
“To the best of our research, we believe the Taylor River hydroelectric facility (at 500kW) will be the largest single phase hydroelectric generator in North America…and possibly the world!” said Feier.
Construction on the project began in May 2023, but the hydroelectric vision has been in the works far longer. According to Feier, the Taylor Dam was designed with hydro power generation in mind when it was constructed in 1937, and various feasibility studies have been conducted since at least the 1980s. In 2020, GCEA and the UVWUA formed Taylor River Hydro, LLC to jointly develop, own and operate the plant, which has gone through permitting, design and construction processes over the last four years.
GCEA provides the electric infrastructure and UVWUA manages the water flowing through the dam. The plant connects to the existing dam penstock and GCEA’s single-phase distribution line.
Feier explained the process: “The new facility draws approximately 65 cubic feet per second of water out of the eastern penstock within the existing valve house. This water is piped to our Frances turbine within the newly constructed metal building at the base of the dam. The turbine spins, which in turn spins the generator and generates an electric current. This energy flows into GCEA’s existing distribution system and down to GCEA’s Alkali substation (located near Jack’s Cabin Cutoff) where it is distributed within GCEA’s service territory. After turning the turbine, the water flows back into the same spilling basin as the Taylor Dam’s main outflow,” he said. “This hydro generator will be a ‘run of the river’ facility and will not affect river flows within the Taylor River.”
Feier said the Taylor River Hydro project is a welcome addition to GCEA’s current clean energy portfolio, and it will bump up GCEA’s local renewable energy generation. “This new hydroelectric facility will get us to approximately 3% local generation and we are working to gain the other 2%+ from local solar array developments,” he said.
GCEA has two community solar gardens at the Crested Butte wastewater treatment plant and at the GCEA headquarters in Gunnison, and a small wind turbine in Doyleville. “Within GCEA’s contract with Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association we can generate up to 5% of our energy supply locally,” said Feier. GCEA also has two more solar projects currently in the works, including the Oh Be Joyful solar project that will be located at the Baxter Gulch trailhead outside of Crested Butte and another community solar garden in Gunnison. Once complete, those solar projects could help the co-op meet its current 7% local renewable energy goal outlined in its strategic plan.
“The completion of this facility has been a long term GCEA goal and a GCEA Board strategic priority,” said Feier. “Tri-State continues to evolve and support its members by encouraging local renewable energy projects such as Taylor River Hydro. GCEA is pleased to do its part by exploring local options for a clean energy transition in our area.”
GCEA also receives 34% renewable energy from Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, which has committed to be 50% renewable by 2025, 70% renewable by 2030, and achieve an 80% carbon reduction from their 2005 level by 2030.
“GCEA relies on Tri-State for a large portion of our energy transition strategy because they can implement projects more cost-effectively than we can and have resources to do so much more. They’re on a path to increase their renewable energy portfolio and making a lot of progress,” said GCEA CEO Mike McBride. “With Tri-State’s support and UVWUA’s partnership, GCEA is excited to provide clean renewable energy to its service territory without any negative impact on member’s electric rates.”
