Thunder Bay Hydroelectric System
The Thunder Bay Hydroelectric System is a system of four hydroelectric power plants near Alpena, Michigan. The system was originally built by the Alpena Power Company, beginning in the early 1900s. Today, the system provides recreation opportunities and clean power to residents of Michigan. It operates under a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC Project No. 2404) valid through 2038. Total system generating capacity is 7,530 kilowatts. The system delivers over 32 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity into the Midwest power grid in a typical year.
In addition to the four power plants, the system includes two storage reservoirs authorized in the FERC license for the Thunder Bay project to manage water flows through the system. The Upper South facility creates the 7,000-acre Fletcher Pond in Lachine, Michigan. Hubbard Lake covers 9,300 acres in Hubbard Lake, Michigan. Water releases from both are regulated to maintain specified seasonal water levels in the reservoirs.