Hydroelectricity
Hydropower has been in use for centuries, and U.S. hydroelectric plants have been using renewable energy for quite some time. Key developments led to its implementation in Michigan in the 19th century. In 1849, British–American engineer James Francis developed the first modern water turbine—the Francis turbine—which remains the most widely-used water turbine in the world today. In the 1870s, American inventor Lester Allan Pelton developed the Pelton wheel, an impulse water turbine, which he patented in 1880. Hydroelectric projects then were first installed in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1880.
Located in Sault Ste. Marie, near the US-Canadian border, the Edison Sault Hydroelectric Plant has been operating since 1902. When at full capacity, the turbines in the Edison Sault plant can generate between 25 to 30 megawatts (MW). With renewable energy sources receiving increased attention in recent decades, one might think that renewable energy is a new innovation, but not so. This particular plant is a historic landmark for its architectural contribution to Sault Ste. Marie's built environment. Constructed in reddish sandstone by Italian masons, the building is not only aesthetically appealing, it is also functional. In 1992, an $8 million modernization project brought the landmark into the modern world and updated all safety and efficiency concerns for many years to come.
The story of the creation of the plant goes back to the late ninteeth cetury. The rapids at St. Mary's River were long recognized as a source of power. In 1885, the St. Mary's Falls Water Company began the construction of a power canal, however, the project ran into financial difficulties and was abandoned. In 1894, Francis Clergue (Michigan Lake Superior Power Comany) purchased the unfinished project for $265,000. With 81 turbine pit walls at 100 ft long and 20 ft high, the powerplant cost $4 million. At the time of its completion, only the Niagara Falls boasted more hydroelectric infrastructure than the Edison Sault plant. In 2010, the plant was sold to Cloverland Electric Cooperative.
In the scope of the climate crisis, the search for efficient, safe, and reliable renewable energy sources is perhaps one of the greatest challenges we face. There are many methods to produce energy with a minimal carbon footprint, such as wind power, solar power, geothermal power, and hydroelectric power. Conventional hydroelectric plants use gravity and the potential energy stored in an elevated reservoir of water to force water through a turbine and generator. There are over 225 small conventional hydroelectric generators that are in operation across the state of Michigan.
Consumers Energy has 13 hydroelectric plants in operation along five rivers that run through our state. Built between 1906 and 1935, Michigan’s heritage is rooted in these renewable energy sources. Hydropower is one of Michigan’s most important homegrown energy sources. It produces clean, reliable power that residents have been able to count on for more than a century. As with most forms of energy production, there is a large environmental cost to hydroelectric power. The construction of a massive dam in a river system has severe implications for a river’s ecosystem. A dam makes it very difficult for any wildlife to pass through its barriers. This can be incredibly problematic for migratory fish such as salmon, which require moving up and downstream regularly to spawn new offspring.
The Thunder Bay Hydroelectric System in Alpena, Michigan consists of four hydroelectric plants built in the early 1900s by the Alpena Power Company. Like Sault Ste. Marie, the Thunder Bay River has a whitewater stretch of rapids that could serve as a power source. Today, the system provides recreation opportunities and clean power to residents of Michigan. It operates under a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC Project No. 2404) valid through 2038. Total system generating capacity is 7,530 kilowatts. The system delivers over 32 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity into the Midwest power grid in a typical year (Eagle Creek Renewable Energy). It also includes two storage reservoirs managed by water releases from Fletcher Pond and Hubbard Lake.
Energy is among the leading water-based commercial activities in 21st century Michigan. In Ludington, Michigan, a town on the coast of Lake Michigan, Consumers/DTE created an alternative to dam power via "pumped storage hydroelectricity." Essentially, water from Lake Michigan is pumped 363 ft uphill into a reservoir when excess electricity from renewable sources is being produced, storing electricity in the form of a "water battery." When demand peaks, the water flows back through the turbines to produce more electricity. This method creates a sort of closed-loop of energy production, essentially producing an unlimited source of battery-powered electricity. In Ludington, the upper reservoir was built and lined to allow for permanent water storage.
