Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project
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The Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project is a pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The plant is part of the New York Power Authority, and can generate over 1,000,000 kilowatts of electricity, all ofwhich is sent to New York City in the case of a power crisis in the city. It is to be used only for emergency situations; i.e., in case another powerplant shuts down, or in case the other powerplants can't provide enough electricity. There are two reservoirs that are involved in the project, both with a capacity of 5 billion gallons (over 71.6 million m³); one at the foot of Brown Mountain in the Schoharie Valley, and another one at the top of the mountain.
The reservoir at the foot of the mountain was created by impounding the Schoharie Creek downstream from the village of Gilboa, New York. Water from this reservoir is sent through an aqueduct up the mountain to the upper reservoir to be stored until it is needed. When power is needed, the water is sent back down the mountain into the lower reservoir, where it enters a powerplant on the banks of the lower reservoir, and spins a series of turbines in the powerhouse. (This structure is almost completely underwater, and only five feet of it can be seen above water when the reservoir is full). The water is sent back into the reservoir, flows over the dam that holds the reservoir back, and continues down the rest of the Schoharie Creek.
