Background
NIPSCO owns and operates two small hydroelectric dams on the Tippecanoe River in White and Carroll counties in Indiana. These projects have operated safely and in an environmentally sound manner for roughly 75 years under the laws of the State of Indiana. The dams - Norway and Oakdale - provide electrical power, recreation, and socioeconomic benefits to local citizens, power customers and business owners throughout the region.
On September 26, 2000 the United States government, acting through its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order to NIPSCO asserting federal jurisdiction over these two power resources, and requiring NIPSCO to undertake a regulatory and environmental review process in order to obtain a Federal License for the projects. The Federal Licensing process is a regulatory requirement, and it is NIPSCO's desire that the FERC License be granted in such a manner so as to have no significant detrimental effect on the project's long-term economic viability.
Project Description
There are two main project developments, each having a dam, water supply reservoir, and hydroelectric power plant. A distance of about 12 river miles separates the dams. Norway Hydroelectric Dam is located about one mile north of the City of Monticello, and Oakdale Hydroelectric Dam is located about seven miles south of the City of Monticello.
The Norway Hydroelectric Dam, a run-of-river dam, is located on the Tippecanoe River in White County, Indiana. This is the northernmost of the two projects, and its construction was completed in June 1923. The project facilities consist of a combination earth-fill and concrete dam creating the existing10-mile-long, 1291-acre Lake Shafer, a gated overflow spillway, a 7.2 MW powerhouse containing four generating units, and transmission/interconnection facilities.
The Oakdale Hydroelectric Dam, also a run-of-river dam, is located on the Tippecanoe River in Carroll County, Indiana. This project is located south of Monticello, and its construction was completed in November 1925. The project facilities consisting of a combination earth-fill and concrete dam creating the existing 12-mile-long, 1547-acre Lake Freeman, a gated overflow spillway, a 9.2 MW powerhouse containing three generating units, and transmission/interconnection facilities.
Both plants are automated and can be either manually controlled locally within the power plant, or operated remotely from NIPSCO's Southlake Complex in Merrillville, Indiana.