POWER is at the forefront of the global power market, providing in-depth news and insight on the end-to-end electricity system and the ongoing energy transition. A run-of-river hydro project on the St. The University of Notre Dame is an iconic institution of higher education with a long history. The university got its start on a cold afternoon in late November , when a year-old French priestβRev.
Edward Sorinβand seven companions took possession of snow-covered acres that the Bishop of Vincennes had given them in the Indiana mission fields. Around the same time, industry began to inundate the area around the university, especially along the St. Joseph River in South Bend. The first usable dam was constructed on the St. Joseph River in , according to The History Museum.
Early industries were located on two races or man-made canals , one on each side of the river. The races were logically called the East Race and the West Race. Many major industries started on one of the two races, harnessing waterpower for their production needs. The company constructed a hydropower plant on the West Race, which was reportedly so efficient and powerful that it could supply electricity to the Oliver Opera House, Oliver Hotel, factories, and other Oliver properties for light, heat, and power.
The hydro plant operated for several decades before it was retired when larger and more-economical sources of power found their way into South Bend. Nonetheless, a dam has remained on the St.
Joseph River, with regular maintenance and upgrades made over the years. In the s, while completing a fish ladder project around the dam, the city applied for and received a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC exemption to construct a new hydro plant on the dam. Yet, for decades a plant was never constructed, mainly due to economic reasons. The University of Notre Dame was made aware of the exemption in about While a for-profit power company would have difficulty justifying the cost of a hydro plant on the dam due to the low head and limited money-making potential, the university had other things to consider.
