Tennessee valley authority hydroelectric stations-electrical design

Abstract

THE Tennessee Valley Authority, since its establishment in 1933, has, among its many other activities, developed an electric generating and transmission system which now has a generating capacity of 1,050,200 kilowatts in 69 generating units, a one-hour peak load of about 907,200 kilowatts, and a monthly output of 520,000,000 kilowatt hours. The original generating facilities taken over by the Authority in the fall of 1933 consisted of the Wilson Hydro and Steam Plants both built at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, by the United States Government during the years 1918 to 1925 and totaling 244,000 kilowatts in generating capacity. During subsequent years the Authority has acquired and leased from private utilities previously operating in the Tennessee Valley area 5 hydro plants and 4 steam plants, totaling 292,300 kw in generating capacity, with transmission lines. Up to the present time the Authority has built and put into operation 6 new hydro plants and extensions to existing hydro plants, totaling 513,900 kilowatts in 15 generating units, with transmission lines. The Authority now has under construction 6 new hydro plants, 1 new steam plant and extensions to 2 existing hydro plants, totaling 969,200 kilowatts in 29 generating units, with transmission lines. The system as now operating and under construction, including the future generating units definitely provided for, will have a total capacity of 2,584,700 kilowatts in 115 generating units. This paper discusses the principal electrical design features of the ten hydroelectric stations designed and constructed or under construction by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Ocoee No. 3 and Apalachia, authorized in July 1941, are now in the early stages of design and are not described herein.