The City of Boulder has a robust hydroelectric program that can be traced back to 1906 when the Boulder Canyon Hydro Plant was built and operated by the Central Colorado Power Company. The program now includes eight hydroelectric plants that produce enough energy to power thousands of households in the greater Boulder, CO area as well as provide drinking water for the community. Small hydroelectric plants are situated along pipelines running down into the city, converting the water energy to electricity using Francis turbines.
In 2009, the city turned to Barr to assist with their hydroelectric program operation plan by solving some relay protection issues. Satisfied with our work, they came to us again in 2011 when they received a federal grant to replace one of their hydroelectric plants. The plant was old and still depended on the original equipment from decades ago. Barr provided electrical and civil/structural design for a substation upgrade, including electrical equipment updates, protection studies, interconnection studies, updates to the switchyard and 5kV switchgear, and negotiations with Xcel Energy to update the interconnection agreement for the new 5MW generator.
It soon became apparent that spacing would be a significant challenge during the hydro plant replacement project. The substation was a difficult area to work in, and the old transformers (which had to be hauled out and replaced) were set on old railroad carts. Despite these challenges, Barr completed the work on schedule and under budget to get the plant online in 2012.
We have continued to support the city’s hydroelectric program. In 2016, we provided commissioning controls support, conducted arc-flash studies, and assisted with operations. In 2022, the generator step-up transformer at the Boulder Canyon Hydro Plant failed. Barr assessed the problem, determining that a fault had occurred in a lower part of the winding. We assessed two options—repairing the transformer or acquiring a new one—and determined that repairing it would be the more cost-effective and timely solution. Barr provided project management, testing, and commissioning services for the removal, repair, and return of the transformer. Then, in early 2025, we conducted a successful operational test on the new transformer and returned the plant to service in time for spring runoff operation.