James Peterson Sons, Inc – Medford, WI is in the process of demolishing the 1,300 feet of leaking wood stave penstock at Grandfather Falls Hydroelectric Plant, Merrill, WI and replacing it with new base material and a steel penstock. The wood stave was part of a 1938 Wisconsin Public Service Corporation(WPSC) project to take advantage of the natural 92 foot drop at Grandfather Falls. Utilizing these wood staves to divert water to the falls, the Grandfather Falls Hydroelectric plant generates 17 megawatts of electricity, making it the highest energy producing location of all the wholly owned WPSC hydroelectric plants.
Grandfather Falls Hydroelectric Plant – pre-construction. Leaks along most of the length.
Removal of existing wood stave by JPS excavators.
Completed Project