PPL Montana’s request to nearly double the amount of clean, renewable electricity produced at its Rainbow hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River near Great Falls has been approved by The Federal Energy Regulatory Commision. The project, scheduled to begin next year, would include the construction of a new powerhouse with a 60MW turbine that has an improved, fish friendly design. Starting in early 2010, PPL Montana will begin construction of a new powerhouse. All eight of the smaller existing units at Rainbow Dam, which have a combined capacity of 35MW, will be eventually replaced with a single 60MW unit big enough to power about 45,000 homes. As part of the project, a new powerhouse will be built on the hillside about 200ft downstream of the existing powerhouse, which will be shut down upon completion of the project.