1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Hi, I'm Joanne Wilmot, the New York Power Authority's Regional Manager for Community 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,960 Relations here in Western New York. 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,640 We got your email and understand you'd like to learn more about the Niagara Power Project 4 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:17,640 and how it works. 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,960 Well, let me show you around. 6 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,200 Before we get started, do you know anything about the Niagara Power Project? 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,880 I know that it sits on the Niagara River between New York and Ontario. 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:28,880 That's right. 9 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:34,160 The Niagara Power Project is the result of cooperation between the United States and 10 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:35,400 Canada. 11 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:40,680 As a matter of fact, the Canadian power plants are located directly across the river from 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,040 ours. 13 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:47,920 Both the United States and Canada have shared the waters of the Niagara River for many years, 14 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:52,480 and both countries are firmly committed to preserving the beauty of Niagara Falls. 15 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:54,920 Niagara Falls is really beautiful. 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,720 I visited once on summer vacation. 17 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,800 It sure is, and did you know that when the Niagara Project produced its first power back 18 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:10,000 in 1961, it was the largest hydroelectric power plant in the Western world at that time? 19 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:15,120 Today, it's still New York State's largest electricity generator, and here we have the 20 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:21,680 capability to generate 2,400,000 kilowatts of electricity. 21 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:27,800 That's enough to light 24,000,000 100-watt light bulbs at any one time. 22 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:33,800 The low-cost power generated here also saves New York State's businesses and residents 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,520 millions of dollars annually. 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,000 How is the electricity made? 25 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:39,480 Here's how it works. 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:46,200 The Niagara Power Project, located about 4.5 miles downstream from Niagara Falls, consists 27 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,440 of two main facilities. 28 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:54,120 The Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant, with 13 generating units, and the Lewiston Pump 29 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,720 Generating Plant, with 12 pump turbine generating units. 30 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:03,400 Between the two plants is a large forebay, or open canal. 31 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,800 It's almost one mile long and about 500 feet wide. 32 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:14,560 Behind the Lewiston plant is a 1,900-acre reservoir, which is like a large bathtub, 33 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:21,160 and that holds additional supplies of liquid fuel, about 20 billion gallons worth. 34 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:29,160 Basically, water is diverted from the Niagara River up to 600,000 gallons a second and travels 35 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:35,440 through two underground conduits, or tunnels, under the city of Niagara Falls and the surrounding 36 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,100 towns to the project's forebay. 37 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:44,660 From there, water flowing through the Robert Moses plant spins the turbines that power 38 00:02:44,660 --> 00:02:50,820 the generators, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. 39 00:02:50,820 --> 00:02:57,460 At night, when electricity demand is low, the Lewiston units operate as pumps, carrying 40 00:02:57,460 --> 00:03:01,380 water from the forebay up to the plant's reservoir. 41 00:03:01,380 --> 00:03:08,700 Then, during the day, when electricity use increases, the Lewiston pumps reverse direction 42 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:13,940 and become turbine generators, similar to those at the Robert Moses plant. 43 00:03:13,940 --> 00:03:21,080 The water then flows back into the forebay and is used again at the Robert Moses plant. 44 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:28,940 Using the water twice to produce electricity allows us to increase our efficiency and production. 45 00:03:28,940 --> 00:03:33,620 You learned earlier that there are numerous ways to produce electricity using different 46 00:03:33,620 --> 00:03:34,620 fuels. 47 00:03:34,660 --> 00:03:39,100 Here at a hydroelectric project, we use water as our fuel. 48 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:44,060 So hydroelectric power is one of the cleanest and environmentally friendly ways to produce 49 00:03:44,060 --> 00:03:45,060 electricity. 50 00:03:45,060 --> 00:03:48,300 Is all the water in the river used to make power? 51 00:03:48,300 --> 00:03:51,420 That's a very good question, and the answer is no. 52 00:03:51,420 --> 00:03:55,900 If all the water in the Niagara River was used for power production, there wouldn't 53 00:03:55,900 --> 00:03:58,500 be any going over Niagara Falls. 54 00:03:58,500 --> 00:04:03,940 And because the falls is such an international attraction, the United States and Canada signed 55 00:04:04,260 --> 00:04:10,020 a treaty in 1950, and that treaty regulates the amount of water that must flow over Niagara 56 00:04:10,020 --> 00:04:12,660 Falls at all times of the year. 57 00:04:12,660 --> 00:04:19,240 The treaty says that during the tourist season, 100,000 cubic feet per second must flow over 58 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,980 Niagara Falls. 59 00:04:20,980 --> 00:04:28,660 A cubic foot is equal to about 7 1⁄2 gallons, so if we multiply that by 100,000 cubic feet 60 00:04:28,660 --> 00:04:35,540 per second, there is approximately 750,000 gallons of water per second flowing over Niagara 61 00:04:35,540 --> 00:04:37,500 Falls during the tourist season. 62 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:40,540 So after the power is made, where does it go? 63 00:04:40,540 --> 00:04:45,820 The power generated here at the Niagara project goes to a variety of customers. 64 00:04:45,820 --> 00:04:51,180 Much of it stays right here in Western New York for business and industry to use. 65 00:04:51,180 --> 00:04:56,300 Some also goes to residential customers, both here in Western New York as well as throughout 66 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:57,860 New York State. 67 00:04:57,860 --> 00:05:03,980 And a small percentage of the power generated here at Niagara is sold to neighboring states. 68 00:05:03,980 --> 00:05:06,820 Can you tell us what can cause a power outage? 69 00:05:06,820 --> 00:05:11,300 Power outages can be caused by a number of factors. 70 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:13,940 Some can simply be equipment failures. 71 00:05:13,940 --> 00:05:19,940 Other times, severe storms, either wind storms or in the northern climates, ice storms, can 72 00:05:19,940 --> 00:05:24,500 cause damage to power lines and thereby cause a power outage. 73 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:29,860 Sometimes it's just our customers requiring and using more electricity than the power 74 00:05:29,860 --> 00:05:31,860 plant can generate. 75 00:05:31,860 --> 00:05:36,180 That will overload the system and sometimes also cause a power outage. 76 00:05:36,180 --> 00:05:38,500 Thanks for telling us about Niagara Falls. 77 00:05:38,500 --> 00:05:41,300 Thanks so much for stopping by and we'll see you later.