New interactive exhibit teaches local community about hydropower

29 August 25

New interactive exhibit teaches local community about hydropower

Idaho Falls Power and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, have unveiled a new interactive exhibit in the city’s Heritage Park. The exhibit will promote understanding of hydropower and its importance to regional power generation.

“At INL, we wanted to create a family-friendly, fun and interactive exhibit that invites the public to explore and engage with science in a meaningful way,” said Shannon Bragg-Sitton, an associate laboratory director at INL. “We’re thrilled to be able to give back to our community and we’re grateful for the strong partnership we’ve built with Idaho Falls Power to make this possible.”

INL contributed $75,000, through funding from the Water Power Technologies Office, toward construction of the exhibit. Idaho Falls Power, which manages the city’s municipally owned utility, applied expertise in turbine technology to design and build the mini-hydroelectric dam to provide an interactive, hands-on model of how hydroelectric power generation works.

Heritage Park occupies 14 acres on the west bank of the Snake River just north of Sunnyside Road across from Idaho Falls Power’s Lower Power Plant, which was built in the 1930s.

INL and Idaho Falls Power collaborate frequently on research and community development projects. “We are fortunate to have INL next door, which allows us to tap into some of the brightest and most innovative research in the country,” said Sarah Wheeler, Idaho Falls Power’s external affairs manager. “Hydroelectricity is a major component of what powers the city of Idaho Falls, and we thought it would be a great if we could create an interactive exhibit that shows how a run-of-river power dam works.”

The exhibit is a scaled model inspired by the Old Lower Power Plant. It will allow visitors to manipulate the water flow to see how changes affect power generation. The exhibit aims to educate visitors to the park on the value of hydropower as a reliable and affordable energy source.

Jason Cooper, Idaho Falls Power’s generation superintendent, collaborated with Bill McKellip, a design technician, to design the model.

Cooper and his generation crew built the miniature powerhouse and dam structure, and the team collaborated with students at Brigham Young University-Idaho to 3D print a replica of the Old Lower Plant’s generator, which is visible through windows in the replica powerhouse.

Hydroelectric power generation in Idaho Falls started in the early 20th century, and the city now operates five plants. “While we are only able to generate approximately one-third of our energy supply locally, the power we purchase from Bonneville Power Administration is largely from hydroelectric plants along the Columbia River system,” Wheeler said. “Suffice it to say, hydropower is a big player for our local electricity needs.”