Today we went on a "field trip" with other homeschooled families to the Solomon Gulch Hydro Power Plant (I organized this trip). 
Previously owned by the Four Dam Pool Power Agency, CVEA acquired ownership of the Solomon Gulch hydroelectric facility in February 2009. The 12-megawatt Solomon Gulch hydroelectric facility is located on Dayville Road in Valdez. Power is generated by two Fuji Francis water turbines. The facility began providing power to CVEA customers in 1982. CVEA operates its dispatch center from this facility. The plant is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Plant operators are responsible for the operation of up to four generation plants at one time via remote control operations. From the hydro plant, operators can start and stop units in any or all of CVEA's three generation facilities: Glennallen diesel, Valdez diesel, or the cogeneration plant, as well as the hydro project. -- from the copper valley electric webpage 
They gave us some great information about how the energy was made and gave us a tour of the plant and we even got to see and hear the working turbines.
The water comes from this amazing lake that replenishes it's self yearly! There are two turbines that work in this plant. It can generate enough energy to power all of Valdez and the whole Copper Valley Basin and into Glenallen.... That is a huge area. 
When this plant has a hiccup or its down for some reason they have a back up generator as well as another fossil fuel power plant to pick up the slack. 
This is the generator that the kids are standing on and they have two of them. One for each turbine. 
They have this awesome snow machine plow thing that they use to a couple times a week to get to Solomon Gulch lake, the dam, and the pipes.
It plows the snow if needed and has huge tracks of metal that allow them to get around on ice and snow. 
They have to check the pipes and the dam at least once a week sometimes more depending upon the weather and if any earthquakes have occurred.
These are pictures from their website.
More pics from their website.
This was such a fun way to learn more about the energy we use daily! The kids had a great time.
January 27, 2016
Valdez, Alaska
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