Nashville
195 posts, incept 2018-02-27
2022-01-06 16:13:50
I can't imagine the time and cost overruns for this project if done TODAY using computers instead of slide rules, plus the required environmental impact studies, and build-back-better money allocation schemes. Here is some pertinent info...
In 1974, the National Society of Professional Engineers named the work at Raccoon Mountain one of Americas most outstanding engineering projects. When completed, the plant would be the largest water-storage facility of its kind in the world.
The project took longer than expected. Originally scheduled for completion in 1973, it wasnt finished until 1979, at a cost of just over 300 million dollars. But it worked well beyond all expectations. The storage reservoir gives the Raccoon Mountain plant a tremendous amount of flexibility to balance the load and supply on the TVA system. The power used for pumping provides needed load during low-demand hours while providing power during peak-demand hours. The plant is also able to change power output very rapidly, thus matching load and supply as well as providing a back-up power source throughout the day.
With its 1.6 million kilowatts of capacity, the Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant generates 14 times more power than nearby Chickamauga Dam, and it is a major factor in the efficient, reliable operation of the entire TVA power system.
It has done that every day for almost a quarter of a century and, in the wake of the plants current modernization and upgrade in capacity, it will continue to do it for years to come.
I seem to remember Obama spent $500M of our money to fund Solyndra. (nuff said)