The Bowersock Mills & Power Company is one of the oldest continuously operating hydroelectric power stations west of the Mississippi. The facility was first established by J.D. Bowersock in 1874 for the purposes of milling flour and producing mechanical energy for businesses in downtown Lawrence, Kansas.
Today the plant is still operated by members of Bowersock’s family, and is currently managed by the father/daughter team of Stephen Hill and Sarah Hill-Nelson. As the plant entered its second century, the opening of the energy market (FERC Orders 888 and 889) and the preference for renewable energy allowed operators to reinvest in the facility and construct a second powerhouse in 2013. Today the 1905 South Powerhouse houses 7 vertical units with a total capacity of 2.35 MW and the 2013 North Powerhouse houses 4 vertical units with a total capacity of 4.65 MW for a total plant capacity of 7MW.
Bowersock is proud of its certification as a Low Impact Hydropower Plant, and was the 15th facility in the nation to earn that certification. In 2020-2021 Bowersock completed a rehabilitation of the structure of the South Powerhouse, with a focus on ensuring that the foundations and structure would last to produce clean, renewable energy for another 115+ years. Learn More here: www.bowersockpower.com/
