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Going on location recently for a behind-the-scenes tour of the dam operation in Post Falls included a visit 50 ft. below the river to the powerhouse. Avista operators utilize much of the same equipment and technology that existed when the dam was built in 1906. This sign is surely a remnant of those early beginnings/Councilwoman KerriT, OnLocation North Idaho.
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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redman on May 06 at 9:44 a.m.
I would love to see more pics of the PF dam, Kerri? DFO?
Dan_at_Avista on May 06 at 11:40 a.m.
RedMan,
I don’t have any Avista pics of Post Falls up on the web - but you might be interested in Avista’s Kettle Falls, Wash. biomass plant - it’s a cool place.
It turned 25 this year. It was the first of its kind in U.S. Check it out some pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/avistautilities
spokelooneh on May 06 at 12:45 p.m.
Cool pics, Dan.
What is the operating history of the plant? How have things changed over the two and half decades of operation? Does the supply of “hog fuel” (wood waste) vary much over time, and does that affect your operating costs?
Dan_at_Avista on May 06 at 1:55 p.m.
It opened in 1983 - the technology of the plant has improved a great deal over it’s lifespan - partly because it was a great model for doing biomass and it was the first of its kind.
The plant burns wood waste to produce steam, which runs a turbine and generator that can produce a maximum output of 53 megawatts of electricity. The plant removes 99.9 percent of particulates from flue gas prior to leaving the stack. (.052 pounds of particulate is released per ton of fuel burned.)
Finding fuel is a big issue even though Kettle Falls in the heart of timber country, but we’ve secured long-term contracts that help keeps our supply up and available. Of course markets always are in flux.
Check out this page I created at our website for some details and a cool video of our 1983 dedication: http://www.avistautilities.com/inside/resources/kettlefalls/Pages/default.aspx
Dan
Kerri on May 06 at 7:45 p.m.
RedMan, if you go to the OnLocation North Idaho link above and then refresh the page, I’ve added a link to photos taken the day of the tour.