Wilson’s Falls Generating Station is a single-unit hydroelectric station located on the Muskoka River in Bracebridge, Ontario. The station was originally built in 1901. The station had an original installed capacity of 0.6 MW at a head of 13.1 metres. Upgrade to 2.9 MW.
The headwork consisted of a concrete main dam with one sluice gate and a long weir. The concrete headpond dam had a sluice gate, a small log spill bay that contained the intake structure. The concrete intake was a gatehouse structure and was equipped with steel trashracks, where one steel penstock conveyed water to the brick powerhouse. Water from this facility is discharged into the Muskoka River at the base of Wilson’s Falls.
In 2012 the facility completed a series of upgrades, which have expanded the facility’s capacity to 2.9 MW. Upgrades to the facility involved modifications to the headrace and tailrace, installation of a new penstock and transformer and construction of a new powerhouse. With significant technology advances in the past century, the renovated facility now boasts one (1) Norcan S-Type Hydraulic Turbine as well as one (1) SAB Horizon Brushless Synchronous Generator, which are controlled by a Rockwell Automation ControlLogix system.
The station is connected to Muskoka TS.
Location: Bracebridge, Ontario
River System: Muskoka River
Nameplate Capacity: 2.9 MW
OPA Contracted Capacity: 2.9 MW
Operator: Bracebridge Generation Ltd.
Technology: Hydroelectric
Turbines: (1) Norcan S-Type Hydaulic Turbine
Originally Built: 1901
Coordinate: 45° 3′ 44.8″ N, 79° 18′ 38.1″ W
By Linda Heron on
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
From the SaveTheBalaFalls.com web site – used with permission.
We have been fighting a proposed hydro-electric generating station at the Bala falls in Bala, Ontario (in Muskoka) for over four years. For the proposed station:
- The province’s taxpayers would pay the private developer the hugely subsidized rate of 17.685 ¢/kW•h (the base FIT rate of 13.1 ¢/kW•h plus the 35% peak adder for electricity generated between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm) whether the electricity was needed or not, even though just downstream there is an older existing hydro-electric generating station owned by OPG which generates electricity for which OPG is paid the standard 3 ¢/kW•h to 4 ¢/kW•h (for comparison, typical residential home owners in Ontario pay about 11 ¢/kW•h, as this includes the cost of transmission and distribution to homes – that is, the transformers, utility poles, and wires between us and the generators).
- Being hydro-electric, these stations would generate the most electricity in the spring and fall (that is, when there is the most water). Unfortunately the demand is lowest at these times, yet the province would still be obligated to pay this private developer the hugely subsidized rate even when the electricty isn’t needed and must be sold to the U.S. at a much lower rate, and even when “negative pricing” occurs and Ontario must pay the U.S. to take our surplus power.
- So when the electricity isn’t needed, the province (us taxpayers) would still be paying the 17.685 ¢/kW•h to the private developer for energy from the proposed station (the FIT contract requires this), and the OPG station downstream would need to spill the water bypassing their station (the Moon River cannot be used to store water), wasting the resource of the station that is already there and paid for, and wasting the water too.
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