# Large Scale Hydroelectric



## Billy Roper (Oct 5, 2015)

Last week, I visited a large hydroelectric dam near me. The unit produces enough power for 40,000 homes. Post-collapse, I wonder how feasible it would be for a cooperative to maintain the functioning of such a unit? I anticipate much would depend on how many technical people you had on board who could keep it running and also make sure that the power produced was routed into the area you wished to power, rather than being dispersed throughout a larger electric power grid. Any thoughts or observations?


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## darsk20 (Jun 1, 2015)

With the way our grid in Chattanooga is set up now, you would almost have to take down lines to the areas you don't want to have electricity. Not sure about other areas.


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## Billy Roper (Oct 5, 2015)

That was a concern of mine when thinking about it. If all other power was down, you wouldn't want your source bleeding out over a large area, you'd want to use it in your community. I have a buddy who works at an electric power brokerage, so I know that they can consciously decide when to share or not share power from one grid locally to another. It would be interesting if sections of the grid could be isolated from the rest.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Would be easy, I think.
Just drop out the breakers feeding the grid in the control room.
The feed system is pretty well mapped out in there out as a flow chart.
Of course if you had one of the operators it would be a snap. 
It would take a crew to keep the power generating.
If the plant was off line, it would be most difficult to bring it back on.
All the local users would have to have everything off for startup because of the load factor.
With a full load the contactors would drop out to protect the transformers.

This is based on what I have seen in control rooms of coal fired steam plants, electric distribution would be pretty much the same for either.

I should add that the system must be able to isolate itself for startup. 
It would never be able to engage if the feeders were tied into a dead grid.


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## Billy Roper (Oct 5, 2015)

Interesting. yeah, I remember in Steven King's 'The Stand', they had to go house to house and turn everything off in order to start the power back up. Kind of like having to turn your lights or heater off if you've thrown a breaker, before you reset it, I guess. but it could be done, especially if you had even a partial crew on board. Hydroelectric dams are a big potential, then. I have to give that more thought.


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