Pedestrian Shops and Via rode a hybrid bus to the first stop on the Carbon-Free Magical Mystery Mobility Tours! The Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Turbine is more than a century old and is expected to keep running for at least another half-century.
In the next fifty years, the facility will create enough energy to replace the need to burn 300,000 tons of coal. That’s 303,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions not burned!
Video About Boulder’s Hydro
Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Turbine Historical Timeline
1910 – The Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric is opened by the Central Colorado Power Co., equipped with two 7-megawatt turbines.
1938 – The original turbines are replaced with two 10-megawatt turbines to power Boulder’s growing population.
1950s – The Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric begins supplying water to Boulder in addition to generating power.
2000 – One 10-megawatt turbine breaks down. It remains at the facility for historical purposes.
2001 – The City of Boulder purchases the plant.
2009 – The City of Boulder received a $1.18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to begin modernizing the facility.
October 18, 2019 – Via and Pedestrian Shops tour!
Thanks for making this possible, Pedestrian Shops!
