LIHI Certificate #29 - Jordanelle Hydroelectric Project, Wasatch County, Utah

The Low Impact Hydropower Institute Certifies Central Utah Water Conservancy District's Hydroelectric Project at the Jordanelle Dam

On December 13, 2007, the LIHI Governing Board certified the Jordanelle Dam Hydropower Project. The Board's decision recognizes that the Jordanelle Dam Hydropower Project has avoided or reduced the Project's environmental impacts pursuant to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's criteria.

The Jordanelle Dam Hydropower Project meets LIHI's eight environmentally rigorous criteria addressing river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection, watershed health, endangered species protection, cultural resources, recreation use and access, and whether or not the dam itself has been recommended for removal.

The Jordanelle Dam Hydropower Project successfully completed LIHI's application process, which includes a public comment period, review by an independent technical consultant or LIHI staff, consultations with state and federal natural resource agencies, and evaluation by the LIHI Governing Board, which includes leaders in the river conservation and renewable energy fields. The Board's vote to certify the Jordanelle Dam Hydropower Project was unanimous.

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Certification Process and Project Information

June 10, 2007

On June 10, 2007, the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) received an application for LIHI certification from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) for the Jordanelle Dam Hydroelectric Project (JDHP).

SUMMARY

Facility location: The JDHP is located on the downstream side of Jordanelle Dam below Jordanelle Reservoir. Jordanelle Dam and Jordanelle Reservoir are located on the Provo River in Wasatch County, Utah approximately 4 miles north of Heber City, Utah.

Installed capacity: 12 MW

Applicant: Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD)

Applicant contact: David Pitcher, P.E., Chief Engineer, CUWCD 801-226-7100

REGULATORY

The Project is not licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) but is authorized through a lease of power privilege from the Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Reclamation's (BurRec) Central Utah Project (CUP) which is an alternative to development of federal hydropower. By letter dated August 16, 2000, DOI selected the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) and Heber Light and Power (HL&P) as the potential joint lessees for development of the hydropower at Jordanelle Dam under a lease of power privilege.

A lease of power privilege grants a non-federal entity the right to utilize, consistent with CUP purpose, water power head and storage at and/or operationally in conjunction with the CUP, for non-federal electric power generation and sale by the entity. The general authority for lease of power privilege under BurRec legal statutes includes among others, the Town Sites and Power Development Act of 1906 and the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Development of a federal power project for the Jordanelle Dam , because by December 2002, when federal power was authorized for funding, Department of the Interior (DOI) had already selected a potential lessee and entered into negotiations.

In 2005, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the NEPA and the revised DOI NEPA implementing procedures. The DOI/CUPCA Office and CUWCD were Joint Lead Agencies for preparation of the EA. The BurRec and the Utah Reclamation, Mitigation, and Conservation Commission served as cooperating agencies for the NEPA analysis.

The EA addresses several purposes of the project, which include:

• Allow the execution of a Lease of Power Privilege for the Jordanelle Dam Hydroelectric Project

• Allow the construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities and transmission lines associated with the Jordanelle Dam Hydroelectric Project

• Meet the objectives of hydroelectric power potential at Jordanelle Dam, which is a CUP facility, as authorized through the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act of April 11, 1956

• Avoid impacts to natural resources (Jordanelle Reservoir and the Provo River)

• Avoid impacts to federal projects and facilities (Jordanelle Dam and associated features)

• Generate hydroelectric power as an incidental use to the delivery of water for CUP purposes, which includes municipal and industrial water supply, irrigation supply, flood control, and fish and wildlife

• Protect water quality in Jordanelle Reservoir and the Provo River

This EA updates and uses information and data from the 2004 Final EIS for the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System (ULS) and the Municipal and Industrial System (M&I) Final Supplement relative to the construction of a hydroelectric power plant and associated facilities. The operation of the Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir with the new hydroelectric project in place will remain the same as described in the 2004 ULS EIS.

The EA found no significant issues associated with implementing the project, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was prepared by the Lead Agencies. The project is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion and commercial operation in late 2007.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The powerhouse is a reinforced concrete structure located partially within the rock berm at the toe of the dam, west of the existing outlet works. The penstock is constructed from the 72-inch-diameter connection in the outlet conduit and then routed to the powerhouse where it bifurcates into two 66-inch-diameter pipes feeding the turbines.

The floor of the powerhouse is set at an elevation above the high tailwater elevation. This elevation allows maintenance to be performed on the turbines without the need to de-water the tailrace. The turbines, generators, and all mechanical equipment are located at this level. The turbines discharge into a tailrace channel below the turbine floor.

The major equipment located on the turbine floor includes two turbine/generator units; turbine controllers; turbine inlet valves located on the penstock to each turbine; a hydraulic power unit for each unit and valve; and sump pumps.

The powerhouse arrangement includes a control room area. A control room is required to house the control panels, switchgear, motor control center, panel boards, batteries, and battery chargers. The control room is isolated from the turbine floor and sound-proofed to provide a quiet space for the operator. It is located above the turbine floor to protect the equipment from potential flooding, and is located near

the plant substation to minimize conduit and cable runs.

The power plant houses two horizontal Francis turbines, each rated at approximately 300 cubic feet per second (cfs). The turbines drive synchronous generators with output ratings of about 6 megawatts (MW) each and speeds of 600 revolutions per minute (rpm). Each generating unit is equipped with a butterfly inlet valve, manual and automatic controls, and electrical switchgear. Electric power is generated at 12.47 kV, then stepped up via a transformer, as necessary, to the transmission voltage at the

power plant's nearby substation.

The capacity of the power plant is based upon the installation of two turbine generators, identical in size, and rated 6 MW at 300 cfs each. The project is expected to generate 39,000 Megawatt Hours annually.

TRANSMISSION FACILITIES

The generated electric power will be transmitted to the site of interconnection with the utility's facilities via a new, and upgraded existing, overhead 12.47-kV, 3-phase, wood pole assemblies. A pole-mounted isolation switch will be installed. Metering will be performed by the existing HL&P system, and at the Jordanelle Hydroelectric powerplant.

60-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE JORDANELLE DAM HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT RUNS TO AUGUST 10, 2007

We encourage public comments on this application. Specifically, we are interested in knowing whether you think the Jordanelle Dam Hydroelectric Project meets the LIHI criteria. Review our program and criteria (click on the "LIHI Certification Program" to the left), and then review the Jordanelle Dam Hydroelectric Project information. Comments that are directly tied to specific LIHI criteria (flows, water quality, fish passage, etc) will be most helpful, but all comments will be considered.

Comments may be submitted to the Institute by e-mail (preferred) at info@lowimpacthydro.org with "Jordanelle Dam Hydroelectric Project" in the subject line; by fax at (206) 984-3086; or by mail addressed to LIHI, 34 Providence Street, Portland, ME 04103. Comments must be received at the Institute on or before 5 pm pacific time on August 10, 2007 to be considered. All comments will be posted to the web site and CUWCD will have an opportunity to respond. Any response will also be posted.

ATTACHED FILES

We have attached supporting information for this application as attached files. The attached files are mostly made up of pdf files. If you have difficulty downloading any of these files, please let us know.

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