The Olmsted Hydroelectric Power Plant, situated at the mouth of Provo Canyon in Utah County, stands as one of the oldest hydroelectric power generation facilities in the western United States. The plant's history is rooted in early innovations in electrical engineering and long-distance power transmission.
Hydroelectric generation began in Provo Canyon in 1897 at Nunn's Station, established by Colorado mining executive Lucien L. Nunn and the Telluride Power Company. This station transmitted alternating current power over 32 miles to the town of Mercur, representing the first high-voltage, long-distance, alternating power transmission system in the world.
To meet rising power demands, Nunn moved the station to the mouth of Provo Canyon to utilize increased water drop for greater turbine pressure. The new generating station and a large wooden flume were designed by Fay Devaux (Fred) Olmsted. Following Olmsted's death from tuberculosis before completion, the plant was named in his honor and officially replaced Nunn's Station in 1904.
In 1912, the Telluride Power Company stockholders formed Utah Power and Light (UP&L) to purchase the power assets. UP&L implemented several improvements, including adding a turbine and generator set and replacing the wooden flume with the Olmsted Flowline, also known as the Green Snake.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation secured ownership of the Olmsted Flowline and associated water rights in 1987 as part of the Central Utah Project (CUP). A 1990 Settlement Agreement added the plant to the CUP to secure and develop water rights, allowing PacifiCorp to operate the plant until the agreement expired on September 22, 2015, at which point power generation ceased.
Because continued operation is essential to maintaining the Olmsted Water Rights, a replacement project was initiated after a 2010 evaluation found existing facilities had passed their useful life. Construction of the replacement project began in the summer of 2016 with an approximate cost of $42 million. The work included rehabilitating pipelines, constructing a new cliff spillway structure, and installing new hydroelectric equipment.
The modern Olmsted plant operates as a run of the river facility, producing power when downstream water demands require deliveries. The plant is a federal facility operated by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, with power marketed by the Western Area Power Authority to local customers including Provo Power and the Utah Municipal Power Authority.
The historic Olmsted Power House is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and is intended to be developed as an interpretive center.
