Canals, Tunnels and Penstocks

New York Power Authority to reline penstocks at Hinckley Reservoir

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New York Power Authority to reline penstocks at Hinckley Reservoir
(photo courtesy NYPA)

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced it will begin a project at the Hinckley Reservoir on June 10 to reline the penstocks (intake structures) that deliver water used to generate hydroelectricity at the 9 MW Gregory B. Jarvis Hydroelectric Project.

Hinckley Reservoir was constructed in 1915 to supply water to the City of Utica and the expanding New York State Canal System. The Jarvis plant was built in 1986, and the powerhouse contains two turbine-generator units. The penstocks at the Hinckley Reservoir have not been relined since their construction in 1986 and are required to be upgraded by the end of 2024 as part of a mandate from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission tied to the operation of the Jarvis plant.

The relining project involves dewatering the dam’s penstocks, limiting NYPA’s ability to pass water when the reservoir is below crest. The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of October, will be undertaken in consultation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and downstream stakeholders.

In July 2021, Hydro Review reported that NYPA was beginning work on three maintenance projects related to the Gregory B. Jarvis small hydro power plant on Hinckley Dam in Oneida County. These involved restoration of a downstream embankment that suffered storm damage in October 2019, refurbishment of one of the dam’s water-regulating gates, and improvements to bolster the safety and stability of the dam.

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the U.S., operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80% of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity.