Hydropower Education Starts Here
Hydropower is our region’s main energy source, providing 85 percent of the power we use in Jefferson County.
By Jameson Hawn, JPUD Digital Communications Specialist
Understanding how our power is generated and conveying that knowledge to the next generation was how I ended up in the bowels of the Wanapum Dam.
As a PUD Communications Specialist, I have the unique role of conveying the work our team does day in and day out. I attend public events, teach classrooms, and serve on the board for the Foundation for Water & Energy Education (FWEE).
Since 1995, FWEE has provided electrical education materials, in-person engineering-based academies, and tours to students highlighting the unique energy generation mix throughout our region. And hydropower is where it all starts.
Our group of FWEE Board members, led by Wanapum Dam operators, started with a tour of the powerhouse where a row of 10 dark green and yellow hydro generators stands at attention. This is where our power truly begins. More than 5 stories below our feet water from the Columbia River surges. Beyond the upstream wall of the powerhouse stands 80’ of water ready to drop into engineered channels. Far below, this unseen waterfall turns each massive turbine at 86 RPM’s. It may not sound fast, but the energy produced in this powerhouse is enough to power 400,000 homes.
Dam operators work 24/7/365 to ensure water spill and power generation match grid demand. Inside the control room, which is a unique blend of 1960’s-era lighted consoles and modern LCD screens, operators track real-time river flow data to ensure out-migrating salmon smolt have a clear pathway downriver. Beyond the control room door, three floors below the powerhouse, the hallway is alive with the rhythmic hum of turning turbines.
Experiencing hydropower production and scale firsthand helps us as FWEE educators convey to our neighbors what truly goes into a task as simple as turning on a light switch hundreds of miles away.
