IID Highlights Hydropower’s Role on National Hydropower Day

-Editorial 

The Imperial Irrigation District is highlighting its hydropower infrastructure and its role in providing electricity and supporting water delivery in the Imperial and Coachella valleys as part of National Hydropower Day on Aug. 24.

This year’s National Hydropower Day theme, “Hydro Works!,” focuses on hydropower’s contributions to renewable energy, electric reliability, local employment, and water-resource management.

IID’s hydropower system is closely connected to the Colorado River and the All-American Canal. The canal drops nearly 200 feet in elevation between the Colorado River and the Imperial Valley, creating opportunities to generate electricity as water moves through the system.

IID entered the public power business in 1936 after recognizing the potential to generate electricity from the canal’s elevation changes. The district offered electricity rates that were 20% lower than those of the competing private utility at the time.

“Hydropower is part of IID’s history and part of our ongoing work to provide reliable service to the communities we serve,” IID Board Chairwoman Karin Eugenio said. “The same water system that supports our farms, homes and local economy also helps generate renewable energy for our region.”

Imperial Dam, completed in 1938, diverts Colorado River water into the All-American Canal. As the water moves through the canal system, hydroelectric facilities use its flow and elevation changes to drive turbines and generate electricity.

IID’s first hydroelectric generation began with the completion of Drop 4 in 1941. Revenue from hydropower sales to local customers helped repay the $25 million construction cost of the All-American Canal, according to the district.

IID now operates five hydroelectric drops along the All-American Canal, along with the Pilot Knob Power Plant. The Pilot Knob facility diverts water from the canal to generate electricity before returning the water to the Colorado River for delivery to Mexico.

The district’s other local hydropower facilities include the East Highline Hydroelectric Plant, Double Weir Hydroelectric Plant, and Turnip Mini Hydro.

Together, IID’s local hydropower facilities have approximately 85.8 megawatts of generation capacity. The district also imports hydropower produced at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Hoover, Parker and Davis dams along the Lower Colorado River.

IID describes hydropower as its greenest and most cost-effective power supply. The district said the resource contributes to electricity reliability while maintaining a connection between water delivery, agriculture and public power in the region.

“Hydro works here because water and power have always been connected in the Imperial Valley,” Eugenio said. “It supports clean energy, strengthens reliability and reminds us that IID’s infrastructure continues to serve multiple public benefits.”

National Hydropower Day is observed annually on Aug. 24 to recognize hydropower’s role in electricity generation and community infrastructure across the United States.