Hydroelectric Projects
Hydroelectric Power
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| North American’s affiliate companies operated hydroelectric generating stations for a period of over twenty years. The Grand River Power Company operated the Smithville Dam, which had sold power to Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative and its downstream partner, Mix Dam, also supplied power to 52 electric retail electric customers which made up the Electric Utility that was operated from that site. Below on the right is Commonwealth Power Company’s LaBarge Dam located on the Thornapple River in Kent County, Michigan. It achieved commercial operation in 1982, selling its energy and capacity to Consumers Energy Company. |
| Historically, the Ford Lake Dam was built by Henry Ford, who was an expert on hydroelectric power generation. His family Electric Machinery Generators which appear above. Henry Ford has very specific design criteria for the facilities that he built. On is evident from the picture of the back of the plant. He always wanted his generator floor to be above the headwater elevation, and it clearly was. |