Imperial Irrigation District (IID) has approved nearly US$21m to refurbish one of two generators at its Pilot Knob hydropower plant near Winterhaven, California, restoring capacity that has been unavailable for three years.
The work at IID’s largest hydroelectric facility is expected to be completed in 2029. It forms part of the utility’s Powering Our Communities Together initiative, which includes plans to refurbish its 17 hydroelectric generators over the next seven years.
“Pilot Knob has been part of IID’s public power system for nearly 70 years, and this investment is about making sure it remains part of our future,” said Karin Eugenio, Chairwoman of the IID Board of Directors. “By restoring equipment that has served generations of customers, we are protecting an important public asset, strengthening the reliability of our electric system and making responsible investments that will benefit our customers for decades to come.”
Pilot Knob began operating on 31 January 1957 and will mark its 70th anniversary in 2027. It was the centrepiece of IID’s US$10m Power Development Project, approved by Imperial Valley voters in 1953 with 89% support.
The plant is located on a channel connecting the All-American Canal to the Colorado River. It generates electricity from water being delivered to Mexico under the 1944 US–Mexico Water Treaty.
After passing through the plant, the water returns to the Colorado River through the Rockwood Heading. Built in 1918, the structure originally diverted water into the Alamo Canal, which carried Colorado River water through Mexico to California’s Imperial Valley before the All-American Canal was developed.
