Blenheim–Gilboa Hydroelectric Power Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blenheim–Gilboa Hydroelectric Power Station |
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Blenheim / Gilboa, Schoharie County, Catskill Mountains, New York, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°27′18″N 74°27′29″W / 42.45500°N 74.45806°W |
| Owner(s) | NYPA |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 19,000,000 m3 (5.0×109 US gal) |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 1,134 MW (1,521,000 hp) |
The Blenheim–Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Station is a special kind of pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant. It's located in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. This plant is a big part of the New York Power Authority. It can make over 1,100 MW of electricity. All this power goes to New York City.
This power station is used every day to help with peak demand. Peak demand is when lots of people need electricity at the same time, like on a hot summer day when everyone uses air conditioning. The plant uses two large reservoirs. Each reservoir can hold about 5 billion US gallons (19,000,000 m³) of water. One reservoir is at the bottom of Brown Mountain. The other is at the top. The power station can store about 12,000 MWh of energy.
How Blenheim–Gilboa Makes Power
The lower reservoir is at the bottom of the mountain. It was made by blocking the Schoharie Creek near the village of Gilboa, New York. When there is extra electricity available, often at night, water is pumped from this lower reservoir up to the upper reservoir. This stores energy for later.
When New York City needs more power, the water is released from the upper reservoir. It flows back down the mountain. As it rushes down, it spins giant machines called turbines inside a power plant. These turbines then create electricity. The power plant building is mostly underwater. Only about five feet of it can be seen when the lower reservoir is full.
The water then flows back into the lower reservoir. From there, it goes over the dam and continues down the Schoharie Creek. The power plant was built in 1973. It first had four special machines that could both pump water up and generate power. These machines were made by Hitachi and could each produce 260 MW.
Between 2003 and 2010, these machines were made even better. Now, each one can generate about 286 MW of power. The plant is very efficient, meaning it doesn't waste much energy. About 73% of the energy used to pump water up is returned as electricity when the water flows down.
Blenheim–Gilboa Visitors Center
You can learn more about this amazing power plant at the Blenheim–Gilboa Visitor's Center. It's located in an old dairy barn from the 1700s. Inside, you'll find fun exhibits and interactive displays. They show you how energy works and how electricity is made and used. It's free to enter!
Next to the Visitor's Center is the historic Lansing Manor House. This old house is now a museum. The Visitor's Center, Lansing Manor House, and the Power Project are all close to Mine Kill State Park.
See also
- List of power stations in the United States
- List of reservoirs and dams in New York
- New York energy law
