(Grass Valley, Aug. 24, 2022) On Aug. 24, the Nevada Irrigation District will celebrate National Hydropower Day in recognition of hydropower’s contributions to America’s clean energy infrastructure.

For more than 50 years, NID has generated hydropower energy. As water flows to customers from high in the Sierra Nevada, it also feeds power plants located along the way. Today, the District generates enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 60,000 to 80,000 homes.

“We are proud to bring attention to the importance of this clean energy, and pleased to celebrate National Hydropower Day,” said Keane Sommers, NID’s Hydroelectric Manager. “The value they provide can sometimes go unnoticed. Hydropower is the backbone of our electricity system, and crucial as dependable power for our communities.”

The District began producing power in 1966 with the completion of the $65 million Yuba-Bear Power Project. The project included the Chicago Park and Dutch Flat #2 powerhouses. The Rollins powerhouse was added in 1980. To make use of existing water releases, small power plants were added during the 1980s at Bowman, Scotts Flat and Combie reservoirs.

NID has a generation capacity of 82.2 megawatts, producing an average 375 million kilowatt hours of energy each year. The District sells its electrical output to Pacific Gas & Electric.  

Hydropower has powered the nation with clean, renewable energy for more than 135 years. To celebrate this achievement, the National Hydropower Association (NHA) has established August 24th as National Hydropower Day.  

Hydropower provides energy to roughly 30 million Americans and 31 percent of the United States' overall renewable electricity.

Plus, this clean power avoids about 150 million metric tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere.  

The NHA notes given that hydropower pairs perfectly with other renewables, such as wind and solar.

NID Generation Capacity in megawatts

Chicago Park - 39.00 MW       
Dutch Flat #2 - 24.57 MW        
Rollins - 12.15 MW         
Bowman  - 3.60 MW           
Combie South - 1.50 MW      
Scotts Flat  - 0.875 MW         
Combie North - 0.50 MW