It’s electric — The newest output from Beaverton’s Sexton Mountain Pump Station, that is.
After a year of renovations, a hydropower turbine has been installed at the pump station to generate clean energy during the normal flow of water operations in southwest Beaverton.
Before, gravity pulled clean drinking water from the Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove to the Sexton Mountain reservoir. That rushing water was untapped potential for energy generation and a means to offset water delivery costs — until now.
The hydropower upgrade to the city’s water delivery system is estimated to create 426 megawatt hours of renewable energy per year — that’s just over a quarter of the pump station’s energy use. The city estimates that Beaverton will save thousands of dollars every year with the upgrade.
This project is one step in reaching the city’s goals in its Climate Action Plan, which includes a goal for city operations to be carbon neutral by 2030.
“Sustainability is a core priority for our city, and we believe it must be woven into every aspect of our operations,” Mayor Lacey Beaty said in a release after the ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 4. “Projects like these not only help reduce the city’s carbon emissions but also enhance our financial sustainability. Once again, Beaverton is at the forefront of creating innovative solutions that benefit our community and the environment, setting an example for others to follow.”