Electric & Hydro Generation Plant

Swanton Electric has been serving its customers since 1894. We serve customers in Swanton Village and parts of Swanton Town, Highgate and St. Albans Town.  We are one of 14 municipal electric utilities in Vermont.  Swanton Electric has some of the lowest rates in Vermont and has not had a rate increase since 2016.  We are proud to serve our customers with 100% renewable electricity.

History of the Orman E. Croft Power Dam

5 hydroelectric generators with the following characteristics as a combined operating system:

Totals:

Production: 11.964 Megawatts.
Annual Production: 55,382 MWH.
Water Flow: 1800 cubic feet of water per second.
Head Water Elevation: 190 feet above sea level.
Tailwater Elevation: 105 feet above sea level.

Individual Generating Units:

Unit # 1: General Electric AC Generator installed in 1930. Excitation is provided by a Basler static exciter. Voltage: 7200 volts, Speed: 360 revolutions per minute, Cycles: 60hz., Phase: 3,Power Factor: 0.8, Production: 1,170 Kilowatts. The Turbine unit is a Francais type, Rated Horsepower: 1,340 hp, Discharge: 224 cubic feet of water per second.

Unit # 2: Westinghouse AC Generator installed in 1928. Excitation is provided by a Basler static exciter.
Voltage: 7200 volts, Speed: 360 revolutions per minute,
Cycles: 60 hz., Phase: 3,Power Factor: 0.8, Production: 1,012 Kilowatts. The Turbine unit is a Francais type,
Rated Horsepower: 1,340 hp, Discharge: 224 cubic feet of water per second.

Unit # 3: Westinghouse AC Generator installed in 1954. Excitation is provided by a Basler static exciter.
Voltage: 7200 volts, Speed: 257 revolutions per minute,
Cycles: 60 hz., Phase: 3, Power Factor: 0.8, Production: 3,500 Kilowatts. The Turbine unit is a Francais type,
Rated Horsepower: 4,070 hp, Discharge: 558 cubic feet of water per second.

Unit # 4: National Industrial AC Generator installed in 1990. Excitation is provided by a Basler static exciter.
Voltage: 7200 volts, Speed: 211.8 revolutions per minute, Cycles: 60hz, Phase: 3, Power Factor: 1.0, Production: 5,850 Kilowatts. The Turbine unit is a Francais type, Rated Horsepower: 7,600 hp, Discharge: 900 cubic feet of water per second.

Unit #5: OSSBERGER turbine, Hitzinger generator: construction and installation into minimum flow building in September 2011, and in production in March 13, 2012. Unit is a horizontal intake, horizontal shaft double cell, cross flow design impulse type turbine, with draft tube effect. Rated at static Head =44.6ft=13.6m. full flow= 200cfs, partial flow= 35cfs. Normal speed 900 rpm with an over speed of 2010 rpm. Tp parent power is 650KVA at full flow with a frequency of 60Hz.

The Hydro Plant shuts down every year and do bearing, governor, wicket gates (which directs the water), turbine, butterfly valve and penstock maintenance and inspections. Crews can enter all areas normally uninhabitable to perform these inspections. No major issues were found this year.