Albany Dedicates Hydroturbine Generating Facility

The hydro turbine-generator is located at the Vine Street plant on the Santiam-Albany Canal at the site where electricity in Albany was first generated in 1888.

Photo of new hydro turbine-generator courtesy: Marilyn Smith/City of Albany

(ALBANY, Ore.) - The City of Albany will dedicate its renovated hydroelectric power generating facility at the Vine Street Water Treatment Plant, 300 Vine St. SW, at 1:30 p.m. Friday, February 13th 2009.

An open house with tours of the plant is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14, 2009, according to Marilyn Smith, Albany's Public Information Officer.

She said the timing is perfect for Oregon's upcoming statehood anniversary, "The events are open to the public and coincide with the state of Oregon's 150th birthday celebration."

Representatives of permitting agencies, Pacific Power, and local, state and federal elected officials are expected to attend the February 13 dedication ceremony.

Smith says Public Works staff will be at the Vine Street plant on February 14th to conduct tours of the generation facility. Individuals or groups who would like to tour the facilities should contact Heather Slocum, at 541-791-0058, or heather.slocum@cityofalbany.net.

The hydro turbine-generator is located at the Vine Street plant on the Santiam-Albany Canal at the site where electricity in Albany was first generated in 1888.

Two 1924 turbine generators operated there until they were decommissioned in 1991. The new generator was installed in the summer of 2008 as part of the City's 1998 license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

It will provide up to 500 kilowatts of power, enough to power about 250 homes, through the Pacific Power grid. The other old generator and its controls remain in place as historic artifacts.