“Electricity for Salt Lake City started right here” says the plaque at Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant. We are standing before a testament to innovation. Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant stands as a rugged installation. It still provides power to Salt Lake City.
Let’s step back to the late 19th century. Technological developments met capitalist enterprise. Economic demands arose. Utah’s hydroelectric power industry was born. Small utility companies built water power plants. They generated electricity for streetcar systems. They supplied power to mines and industries. Cities and towns consumed power for municipal and domestic use.
The Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant was constructed in 1894 and 1895. It lies in Big Cottonwood Canyon. That is about 8 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. Robert M. Jones designed the plant. He worked for his Big Cottonwood Power Company. The cost was 325000 dollars.
The Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant was among the first in Utah. It transmitted power long distance. It used alternating current. Direct current was not used. The Stairs Project included a dam. There was also a conduit and penstock. These were critical for hydroelectricity. The plant was located ideally. It took advantage of the Stairs cascade on Big Cottonwood Creek.
The powerhouse is the only remaining building. It is associated with the plant. It represents an intact high-head generating plant. It dates back to the late 19th century.
Originally, four Pelton wheels were used. These have been replaced. A single Francis turbine is now in use. It generates 1.2 megawatts. The station features a Second Renaissance Revival style. The powerhouse has two levels. The lower level houses generating equipment. The upper level formerly housed switchgear.
Until the late 1950s, water was impounded behind Storm Mountain Dam. The dam was built in 1921. It replaced an earlier dam. This stood about 2500 feet above the station horizontally. It stood 200 feet vertically. The dam is a low earthfill structure. It is 10 to 20 feet high. It is 500 feet long. The upstream side is concrete faced. An abandoned 1200-foot steel pipeline once connected the dam. It connected to a penstock. This made the fall to the power plant. The penstock is 1750 feet long. It is made of 0.5-inch steel.
In 1895, the Big Cottonwood Power Company contracted. They provided power to the Salt Lake and Ogden Gas and Electric Company. By 1897, the Big Cottonwood company was absorbed. It became part of the Union Light and Power Company in 1899.
The Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 20, 1989. This recognizes its significance.
Today, the Stairs Station Hydroelectric Power Plant continues to operate. It stands as a reminder of Utah’s early energy innovations. It demonstrates the ingenuity. It also shows the determination of those who harnessed the power of water. The rugged installation stands the test of time. It still provides power to Salt Lake City.