Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corporation, Spokane Valley, Wash., was awarded the contract on February 1, 2012. Work involves modernizing the two existing elevators.

"This upgrade will ensure the safety of our employees while also keeping vital equipment in premium working order during the Third Powerplant Overhaul Project," said Mark Jenson, Grand Coulee Project Manager. This refurbishment also includes providing new or upgraded lighting, power receptacles and communication systems, as well as fire detection and alarm system components.

Work is expected to start in May, and be completed by January 2013. Grand Coulee Dam, completed in 1941, is a multi-purpose facility and a key feature of Reclamation's Columbia Basin Project. Power facilities at Grand Coulee Dam include 33 generators in three power plants, a pumping plant and three switchyards. The Project's rated electrical capacity is 6,809,000 kilowatts; making it the largest hydroelectric dam in the U.S., which also provides water to about 600,000 acres in the Columbia Basin Project.