Author(s): Alvin Hollmer
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Abstract: The upper Niagara River, which is essentially the unregulated outflow of Lake Erie, is also part of the border between the United States (USA) and Canada. The New York Power Authority (Authority) and Ontario Hydro operate hydroelectric generating stations on the Niagara River and are required to equally share the water available for hydropower generation pursuant to a treaty between the USA and Canada. The intakes for the Authority'S and Ontario Hydro's generating stations withdraw water from both sides of the river which is returned to the River below the Niagara escarpment upstream of Lake Ontario. Because the intakes for the generating stations are located just downstream from a fast flowing section that is three (3) meters below the level ofLake Erie, it is not feasible to form a protective ice cover and makes it necessary to pass all lake ice and river generated ice past the intakes and over Niagara Falls. Over the past 35 years, the Authority and Ontario Hydro have learned to deal with the problems ice presents to power generation on the river and have instituted procedures to jointly adjust to ever-changing river conditions. Agreements on the procedures for dealing with these ice problems include the equitable sharing of any losses in generation caused by the need to accommodate ice flow or removal of ice stoppages. The sharing of generation losses is accomplished in three ways: 1) Spare generating capacity of a power company whose diversion capacity is least affected by ice may be used by the power company experiencing ice problems; 2) The lost energy equivalent of the water allotted for power generation, which cannot be used due to the need to pass ice, is equally shared by the Authority and Ontario Hydro; and 3) Due to the geographic placement of the generating stations, opportunities that arise to "capture" water and generate power after the water has carried ice past key ice management points in the river are shared.
Year: 1994