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Introducing the 2021 Hydro Hall of Fame inductees

Introducing the 2021 Hydro Hall of Fame inductees

Four legacy hydroelectric facilities – distinguished by their long service life and reliable production of electricity – have been inducted into the Hydro Hall of Fame for 2021.

The Hydro Hall of Fame recognizes extraordinary achievement, with an emphasis on long-lasting facilities. Since 1995, 60 legacy hydropower plants have been inducted. Together, this prestigious group demonstrates the long-lasting and significant contributions of hydroelectric plants, including clean renewable power, emission-free generation and reliability.

This year’s four deserving inductees are:

  • 125 MW Alvkarleby, owned by Vattenfall. This plant, on the Dalalv River in Sweden, has operated continuously since 1915 except for a span of a few months when a new unit was added during an extension of the then-70-MW plant from 1988 to 1991. At that time, a new dam was built in a similar location to the old dam. Alvkarleby is one of three power stations Vattenfall built in the early 1900s and featured five identical units, each with a horizontal shaft and two double Francis turbines and one generator. The sixth unit was a Kaplan turbine added to increase generating capacity.
  • 177 MW Lay Dam, owned by Alabama Power. Captain William Patrick Lay organized Alabama Power in 1906 and received authorization from Congress to construct the company’s first dam and electric generating plant on the Coosa River – the Lock 12 dam near Clanton. In 1929, the dam was renamed Lay Dam in recognition of Captain Lay’s service to the company and to the public. Lay Dam began service in April 1914 with six 29.5-MW turbine generator units. The plant was extensively renovated in 1967.
  • 440 kW Silversmith Generating Station, owned by Silversmith Power & Light. The station, in Sandon, British Columbia, Canada, has been producing power continuously since 1897 and may actually have begun generating in 1896. In 1916, the generator was changed from direct current to alternating current using a second-hand Tesla-Westinghouse AC generator.  No changes have occurred to the plant since then and typically the plant is shut down for a single day for inspection every 10 years of operation. 
  • 36 MW Wissota Hydro Project, owned by Xcel Energy. Wissota is on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisc. The project has several unique features, such as the Stauwerke gates on the spillway, which were originally developed in Europe for operation in cold climates. The facility was completed in 1917, and at that time its special features were: the longest and highest voltage transmission in the U.S., the largest embankment dam in North America, the second largest capacity hydro project in the U.S. and the largest artificial water body in Wisconsin.

Each year, Clarion Energy reviews information on over 100 historic hydro facilities before choosing that year’s inductees. Typically, the Hydro Hall of Fame awards are presented during the opening keynote session of the HYDROVISION International event. HYDROVISION is the world’s largest hydropower industry event, attracting more than 3,000 attendees from dozens of countries. However, due to COVID-19, Clarion Energy was not able to hold the event in 2021, and the awards were presented during a virtual session on March 15.

The 2022 Hydro Hall of Fame inductees will be announced at HYDROVISION International, July 12 to 14 in Denver, Colo., U.S. If you have information about a plant that should be considered for future induction into the Hydro Hall of Fame, click here for a nomination form.