Stairs

The 1.2-megawatt (MW) Stairs Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No. 597, utilizes the natural falls of Big Cottonwood Creek, and is located approximately two miles east of the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, and approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. 

The Stairs Project is the oldest of PacifiCorp’s hydroelectric fleet and was constructed in the late 1800’s and is located directly upstream of its sister project, Granite Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 14293). The project was the first hydroelectric power station to supply Salt Lake City with alternating current (AC) electricity for long-distance power transmission. 

The current FERC Project license was issued on September 30, 1999, with an effective date of July 1, 2000, and expires on June 30, 2030.