How a Hydroelectric Facility Works

At a hydroelectric plant such as Childs-Irving, the energy of water being drawn by gravity powers generators that produce electricity.

• Water from Fossil Creek is dammed and channeled into a flume which carries the water to the penstock, a pipe that can withstand great water pressure.
• Water in the penstock flows down a steep hill to the powerhouse, thereby increasing the water pressure.
• At the powerhouse, control devices regulate the flow of this pressurized water.
• The water, under pressure, drives a turbine, which in turn powers the generator that produces electricity.