PPL Renewable Energy : Hydro

Hydroelectric power is an important component of PPL’s renewable energy portfolio.

Our hydro plants in Pennsylvania and Montana are capable of generating 757 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity.

Expansion projects in progress at PPL’s Holtwood hydroelectric plant in Pennsylvania and Rainbow Dam hydroelectric plant in Montana represent a more than $650 million investment in renewable energy. The projects will add a total of 164 megawatts of clean energy and help the environment at the same time. In fact, the new turbine at Rainbow Dam near Great Falls will result in resource benefits to fisheries habitat in the Missouri River. It will have wider flow passages and fewer rotating surfaces, making it easier for fish to pass through unharmed. At Holtwood, the expansion project will result in improved passage for migratory fish along the Susquehanna River and its tributaries.

The Holtwood plant, a 10-unit hydroelectric facility along the Susquehanna River about 15 miles south of Lancaster, Pa., has a total capacity of 109 megawatts. PPL is considering doubling the generating capacity of the Holtwood plant.

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In operation since 1926, the
Wallenpaupack hydroelectric plant in the Pocono Mountains includes a dam with a reservoir and a powerhouse that contains two units with a total capacity of
44 megawatts. Lake Wallenpaupack plays a critical role in regional water management and is a popular location for year-round outdoor recreation.

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Thompson Falls Dam is a seven-unit hydroelectric plant on the Clark Fork River in Thompson Falls. The units have a total generating capacity of 94 megawatts. (One megawatt can satisfy the average energy needs of 750 households.)

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Kerr Dam is a three-unit hydroelectric plant on the Flathead River about five miles southwest of Polson and the natural outlet of Flathead Lake. The units have a total generating capacity of 194 megawatts.

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Madison Dam is a four-unit hydroelectric plant on the Madison River at the head of Bear Trap Canyon, about 10 miles north of Ennis, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 9 megawatts. The dam is classified as a “run-of-river” project because it can generate electricity using the water that flows down the river, without the need to store additional water supplies.

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Hauser Dam is a six-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River, about 14 miles northeast of Helena, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 19 megawatts.

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Holter Dam is a four-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River, about 43 miles northeast of Helena, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 48 megawatts.

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Black Eagle Dam is a three-unit hydroelectric plant at Black Eagle Falls on the Missouri River, about two miles downstream from Great Falls, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 21 megawatts.

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Rainbow Dam is an eight-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River, about six miles northeast of Great Falls, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 36 megawatts.

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Cochrane Dam is a two-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River, about eight miles downstream from Great Falls, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 64 megawatts.

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Ryan Dam is a six-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River, about 10 miles downstream from Great Falls, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 60 megawatts.

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Morony Dam is a two-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River, about 15 miles northeast of Great Falls, Mont. The units have a total generating capacity of 48 megawatts.

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Mystic Lake Dam is a two-unit hydroelectric plant on the West Rosebud Creek in the Beartooth Mountains, about 75 miles southwest of Billings, in southern Montana. The units have a total generating capacity of 12 megawatts.

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