By Sydney Havens

The equipment at the hydroelectric facility on West first Street, responsible for providing power and revenue to the City of Oswego, is now under construction.

The facility was built in 1920, but was taken over by the City of Oswego in 1990. However, its historic age means it’s in need of repairs. 

City engineer Jefferey Hinderliter, who is overseeing the project, says that the city will be dedicating around $4 million to these repairs, which will include fixing the generators. Three of the four generators are now broken and two of them have not worked since November.

Last fall, the City of Oswego contracted with Northbrook Power Management to operate the facility. City officials said once it is operational again, the facility could generate enough power to cover all the city of Oswego’s electricity needs.

“The goal is to get that revenue stream stable again,” Hinderliter said. “As the units have had their issues, it’s been hard. Last year we turned about half of what we did in previous years, as we have only had two units that have been able to function.”

The hydroelectric facility and the dam that feeds it do more for the community than just produce energy. They raise the water levels. 

“What we actually see is that the environment has adapted to it,” Hinderliter said. “What would have been a shallow river at one point, now is deep in fish habitats and recreational spaces.”

The construction on the hydroelectric facility is already underway and is projected to finish by the end of June 2023.