Today, ALE&P celebrated their 125th anniversary with festivities including tours of the historic Gold Creek Hydro Plant.
The plant was built in 1896, but it’s been expanded several times since then. Today, the hydropower it generates supplies just a small fraction of Juneau’s power.
Diesel generators were added in the ’50s and ’60s, but were taken out of regular usage in 1973 when the Snettisham Hydroelectric Project came online. Today, the generators still supply crucial backup power. AEL&P briefly switches to diesel during maintenance operations a few times a year, according to Vice President and generation engineer Christy Yearous.
Click on an image below to enter the 360° view – the click or tap and drag to look around inside the plant.
The smaller hydroelectric generator recessed into the floor is an older model, the others are more recent additions. The valves with hand wheels on them (recessed into the floor) control the flow of water, and thus how much power it generates. They are still operated by hand to start the generator and adjust its output.
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Here are some of the five diesel generators that can provide power in an emergency or during routine maintenance. The diesel generators have to be turned on every couple of months for testing and maintenance. In an emergency they can provide power directly to the federal building (which houses FEMA) without going over the public power grid.
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This is the control center for the plant. All of Juneau’s power was once coordinated from here, using the telephone in the booth that still sits in the corner (although it now holds a newer phone). Now, that coordination is computerized from a different location. The computer on the desk monitors key functions of the plant, including water supply and power output.
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Here are two smaller diesel generators that came from old military vessels after World War II.
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