The power plant was commissioned in 1970. The turbine is located inside the mountain, but the administration building and the entrance to the mountain facility are clearly visible from the E134 road.

Sundsbarm Power Plant utilises a 480-metre waterfall from the main reservoir Sundsbarmvatn. The catchment area is as large as 418 square kilometres and encompasses the municipalities of Seljord, Kviteseid, Tokke and Vinje. From the Sundsbarmvatn reservoir, the water is led through a 6.6-kilometre long tunnel with a sedimentation trap, surge chamber, trash rack and self-closing valve, and is then released into a steel-lined pressure shaft to the power station.

After the water has passed the turbine, which is a Francis turbine, it is transferred out through a tailrace tunnel to Vallaråi river, which flows into Seljordsvatn lake. The machine hall inside Skorvefjellet mountain is known as ‘the Skorve Cathedral’. In this ‘cathedral’, the public are invited every year to a Christmas concert.

The power plant has an installed output of 103 MW.

Sundsbarm is owned by Skagerak Kraft (91.5%) and Vest-Telemark Kraftlag (8.5%).