Is Hydropower Really Viable?
Before commissioners discussed the Argo Dam situation, they heard a presentation by Matt Naud, the city’s environmental coordinator. Naud explained that the city bought four dams on the Huron River from Detroit Edison in the 1960s: Barton, Argo, Geddes and Superior. In the 1980s, the city deemed it feasible to generate electricity from hydropower at Barton and Superior. At Barton, a 900-kilowatt turbine generates about 4.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. At Superior, a smaller 520-kilowatt turbine generates about 2.3 million kilowatt hours per year. The amount of energy generated varies by month, depending on the river’s flow. Peak months are typically in the spring. In 2008, the city commissioned a study looking at the feasibility of hydropower at Argo and Geddes. That study, conducted by the consulting firm Stantec, concluded that Argo and Geddes had the capacity to generate varying amounts of electricity. At Argo, installing a 370-kilowatt turbine would yield an est
