Castaic Power Plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castaic Power Plant |
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Front of Castaic Power Plant
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| Official name | Castaic Power Plant |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Los Angeles County, California |
| Coordinates | 34°35′14.32″N 118°39′23.88″W / 34.5873111°N 118.6566333°W |
| Construction began | 1966 |
| Opening date | July 11, 1973 |
| Owner(s) | CDWR, LADWP |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Pyramid Lake |
| Total capacity | 186,000 acre⋅ft (229,427,622 m3) |
| Power station | |
| Hydraulic head | 1,060 ft (323 m) |
| Turbines | 7 |
| Installed capacity | 1507 MW (nominal) 1247 MW (rated) |
| Annual generation | 880,702,000 KWh (gross, 2001–2012) 319,181,000 KWh (net, 2001–2012) |
The Castaic Power Plant, also known as the Castaic Pumped-Storage Plant, is a special kind of power plant. It uses water that moves through the California Aqueduct to create electricity. This plant helps provide extra power when people need it most, like on hot summer days.
It is a team effort between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the California Department of Water Resources. They signed an agreement in 1966 to build this important project.
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Where is the Castaic Power Plant?
The Castaic Power Plant is located about 22 miles (35 km) north of Los Angeles. You can find it at the top end of the West arm of Castaic Lake.
How Water Reaches the Plant
Water for the Castaic Power Plant comes from the California Aqueduct. This aqueduct brings water to Southern California.
- First, water is pumped over the Tehachapi Mountains by the Edmonston Pumping Plant.
- Then, the aqueduct splits into two branches.
- Water for the Castaic plant goes into the West Branch.
- It is pumped again at the Oso Pumping Plant to Quail Lake.
- From Quail Lake, the water flows through a pipeline to the Warne Power Plant.
- The Warne Plant is at the start of Pyramid Lake.
- Pyramid Lake is like a big storage tank for the Castaic Power Plant. It holds about 180,000 acre-feet (220,000,000 m3) of water.
The Angeles Tunnel
The Angeles Tunnel is a very important part of the power plant. It was originally planned to be 17 feet (5.2 m) wide. But for this project, it was made much bigger.
- The tunnel is now 30 feet (9.1 m) wide.
- It is about 7.2-mile (11.6 km) long.
- Water drops 1,060 feet (320 m) through this tunnel from Pyramid Lake.
- This huge drop helps create a lot of power.
How the Turbines Work
The Castaic Power Plant has seven large machines called turbines.
- Six of these are "reversible" units, each making 250,000 kilowatts of power.
- One smaller unit makes 55,000 kilowatts.
- To give you an idea, the biggest generators at Hoover Dam are 130,000 kilowatts.
- The smaller unit (Unit 7) started working in 1972. It also helps start the six bigger units.
- The first main unit started in 1973, and the last one in 1978.
- The plant generates electricity at 18,000 volts. This power is then boosted to 230,000 volts for distribution to Los Angeles.
- The six main units can also work as pumps. They can push water back up to Pyramid Lake.
The Surge Chamber
If you drive by, you might see a large, round structure that looks like a water tank. This is the surge chamber.
- It is 120 feet (37 m) wide and 400 feet (120 m) tall.
- About 160 feet (49 m) of it is visible above ground.
- Its job is to protect the tunnel and pipes.
- If the power plant suddenly shuts down, the surge chamber takes in the extra water pressure.
- It also helps supply water quickly when the generators need to start up.
Castaic Reservoir and Elderberry Lake
After water goes through the power plant, it flows into Elderberry Lake. This lake is also called the pumping forebay.
- From Elderberry Lake, water can be released into Castaic Lake.
- Castaic Lake is very large, holding about 324,000 acre-feet (400,000,000 m3) of water.
- The amount of water in Castaic Lake changes based on how much water Southern California needs.
How Pumped-Storage Works
The Castaic Power Plant is a "pumped-storage" plant. This means it can store energy like a giant battery.
- Elderberry Lake is separated from Castaic Lake by a dam. This helps with the pumped-storage process.
- It makes sure there's always enough water (at least 10,000 acre-feet (12,000,000 m3)) to pump back to Pyramid Lake.
- When electricity is cheap (usually at night), the plant uses power to pump water from Elderberry Lake back up to Pyramid Lake.
- When people need a lot of power (like during the day), the water is released from Pyramid Lake. It flows down through the turbines to generate electricity.
- This system helps Los Angeles meet its power needs, especially during peak times. It can provide power for 3 to 10 hours a day, depending on the season.
