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VISIT MDC's HYDROELECTRIC PLANTS:
  • Goodwin
  • Colebrook River

    For Up to Date
    Water Flow Rates
    in the
    Farmington River
    Visit the
    FRWA Web Site
     Farmington River Watershed Association
    		•
    water stored behind a dam is an energy source
    HYDROELECTRIC POWER

    For more than 2,000 years, humans have been "capturing" the power of water. From water wheels used by the ancient Greeks to today's most modern hydroelectric power plants, the idea has always been the same: use the incredible power of moving water to produce energy.
    HOW HYDROELECTRIC POWER WORKS
    All electricity starts with an energy source - like oil and natural gas (fossil fuels). In hydropower, that energy source is reservoir water stored behind a dam. To get the hydro process started, water from the reservoir is released into a large pipe called a penstock. From there, the water travels to a powerhouse where special engines - known as turbines - are located.

    Hydroelectric turbines are equipped with a series of blades (or buckets). When rushing water strikes the blades, the turbines turn with great force. The exact force depends primarily on how far the water has fallen on its journey from the dam to the turbines. (This distance is called the hydrostatic head.)

    The turbines are connected to electrical devices known as generators. As the turbines move, the generators rotate at very high speeds, changing mechanical energy (energy produced by machinery) into electrical energy - better known as electricity.
    cross section of a typical turbine
    An electrical device known as a transformer then converts the electricity to voltages that can be used by power companies. That "transformed" electricity is sent along power lines where it is again transformed to a lower voltage for use in our homes and businesses.

    THE MDC AND HYDRO
    In the late 1970s, America experienced an energy crisis due to a serious shortage of fossil fuels, particularly oil. As a result of this crisis, the Federal government passed new laws encouraging the development of clean, renewable energy sources - like hydroelectric power. Because the MDC already operated several dams on the Farmington River as part of its water supply responsibilities, it was natural for the District to become involved in hydro.

    Today, the MDC's hydroelectric power plants are an important part of Connecticut's energy mix. As clean, renewable sources of electricity, they help reduce our state's dependence on nuclear power, oil and gas.

    MDC HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS

    The West Branch of the Farmington River is the site of two MDC hydroelectric power facilities: the Goodwin Hydroelectric Power Plant in West Hartland, Connecticut and the Colebrook River Hydroelectric Power Plant in Colebrook, Connecticut. While both plants generate clean, renewable hydropower year-round, they do so with different types of equipment and operations.