TR Generators

[bobby b.]

White River power generators "produced enough power in the last seven days to supply 104,000 homes with energy for a month.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/table-rock-dam-supplements-utility-companies-to-reduce-rolling-blackouts/ar-BB1dQhBY?ocid=msedgdhp

[bfishn]

Since our grid can't store a month's worth of juice, their statement could've been clearer. Better to say they powered >400,000 homes for the week that they ran. Still a great thing, even a 2hr blackout on Mon or Tues would've put me in a bind... thankfully, it never came. 

Prediction; In the last week, WR tailwaters have become the river they once were... The remaining real rivers will see some snowmelt influx, but nothing compared to the blast down the White. Roaming fish that spent the winter deep midlake have likely already made the choice of where to run for the year and are on their way to the party. The first flush of stored water in this deep freeze will be the warmest water around too. Perfect storm.

[Phil Lilley]

Yeah but why didn't they generate full tilt?  They never got over 3/4 power - haven't run all 4 units full tilt yet this year.  Back in the fall, they were working on turbines and couldn't run all 4 if they wanted to.

I'm still scratching my head...

[bobby b.]

Yeah - I recall full tilt is 200mW (50 each) - maybe they don't want to lower TR any more than needed, since they are at winter pool?????

[dblades]

1 hour ago, bobby b. said:

Yeah - I recall full tilt is 200mW (50 each) - maybe they don't want to lower TR any more than needed, since they are at winter pool?????

Probably right, every drop that doesn't go through the generators is money lost, hence they don't do winter draw downs anymore.

[Phil Lilley]

The only way they don't get power from Table Rock water is if it goes over the top of the dam, not through the turbines.

Winter draw downs are a thing of the past.  Some of the reason why is the new set of power pool levels, initiated when they upped the minimum flow below Bull Shoals.