News

Helene caused severe damage at Tuxedo power plant

By Amy McCraw, Published: December 12, 2024

Hurricane Helene caused severe damage to the power plant on Green River when it tore through Western North Carolina in September, according to the Arizona-based company that owns the plant.

The Tuxedo Hydroelectric Project includes the Summit Dam, which creates the 290-acre Lake Summit, a penstock (pipe system) which carries water to a powerhouse and other equipment.
Despite damage to the powerhouse and pipe system on Green River the storm left the hydroelectric project’s dam on Lake Summit secure, according to a recent statement from Northbrook Power Management in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“The Summit Dam is secure and poses no structural risk to downstream areas,” according to the statement from Northbrook. “Water is flowing naturally over the dam into the riverbed instead of through the damaged penstock and powerhouse. This maintains the river’s natural flow downstream.”
Before the storm, the pipe system and powerhouse allowed Northbrook to manage lake levels, support recreational water releases downstream and generate up to 6.4 megawatts of power. But Helene’s severe damage to both the powerhouse and pipe system means the plant is no longer able to manipulate either the natural lake levels upstream of the dam or the natural water flows downstream of the dam, according to the statement.
“The damaged powerhouse area also faces potential stability issues, making repairs challenging,” according to the statement.
Northbrook said it is working with engineers, insurance adjusters and geotechnical experts to evaluate the project’s future. The work includes analyzing structures and the surrounding topography.
“It will take considerable time to complete these studies and make informed decisions about whether and how to rebuild the power generation facilities and water control equipment,” according to the statement from Northbrook. “In the meantime, we are assessing the technical feasibility and cost of interim control measures at the dam that would allow some measure of control over lake levels and water releases and funding sources for such dam modifications.”
In 1920, The Blue Ridge Power and Light Company began building the dam on the Green River in the Zirconia community that eventually formed Lake Summit, which extends into the Tuxedo community. The operations center for the power plant was established at Pot Shoals located in the Macedonia community of Henderson County, according to the local Henderson Heritage website.
In 1927, the Blue Ridge Power and Light Company sold the power plant to the Duke Power Company, according to Henderson Heritage.
Duke Energy sold the plant at Pot Shoals and four other small hydroelectric plants in Western North Carolina to Northbrook in 2019. Duke at the time agreed to purchase all of the energy generated by the power plants for five years through power purchase agreements with Northbrook, according to a press release from Duke Energy.
Northbrook operates 26 hydroelectric power plants in 12 states and has served the industry for more than 30 years.
Attempts to reach Northbrook for comment on damage to the Tuxedo Hydroelectric Project were unsuccessful.
For more information about the history of the power plant on Green River and the Lake Summit dam, visit www.hendersonheritage.com.