Category Archive: Hydro

1. GPEC Annual Energy Report Now Available

   June 11, 2014 Leave a Comment

   The 4th Annual “Spotlight on North Dakota Energy” is now available. You can request a printed copy or view the publication online at www.energynd.com/spotlight.

2. North Dakota Energy Spotlight – Hydroelectric Generation

   April 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

   • The primary producer of hydroelectric power in North Dakota is the Garrison Dam.

   • The Garrison Dam produces, on average, 2.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. In 2011, due to additional water release from flooding of the Missouri River, the dam’s generators produced 2.6 billion kilowatt-hours.

   • Garrison Dam has five hydroelectric power turbines with a total rated capacity of 583 megawatts.

   • Electric power generated from the Garrison Dam is marketed by the Western Area Power Administration.

   • Completed in 1954, Garrison Dam is the fifth largest earthen dam in the United States. The dam is 2.5 miles long. It cost about $300 million to build the dam.

   Read the full report of Great Plains Energy Corridor Spotlight on North Dakota Energy and request a hard copy here.

   You may be interested in:
   Bismarck Tribune editorial on 2011 Garrison Dam hydroelectric power surge
   US Army Corps of Engineers Garrison Dam brochure

3. Wave Energy study update

   February 10, 2012 Leave a Comment

   Forbes did a great article on ocean-wave energy generating technology. What I found the most interesting was the new government-sponsored study results on the energy potential. The study found that oceans surrounding the US could potentially supply some 1,170 terawatt-hours annually. The author states that more energy “crashes annually onto the West Coast, for instance, than California uses in a year.” According to the article, 5 megawatts are currently being produced worldwide by wave energy. Read the full wave energy story here.