Frank D. Comerford Dam
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| Frank D. Comerford Dam | |
| Official name | Frank D. Comerford Dam |
|---|---|
| Impounds | Connecticut River |
| Creates | Comerford Reservoir |
| Locale | Monroe, New Hampshire, USA |
| Maintained by | TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc.[1] |
| Construction began | 1928 |
| Opening date | 1930 |
| Geographical Data | |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
Frank D Comerford Dam is an International Style concrete dam in the Fifteen Mile Falls of the Connecticut River, on the border between the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Vermont.[2] The dam, located next to Monroe, New Hampshire, is named after Frank D. Comerford, who played an instrumental role in its construction. Construction began in 1928 and was completed in 1931. The dam and the power plant are operated by the TransCanada Corp.[3]
Comerford Reservoir is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Frank D. Comerford, president of the Connecticut River Power Company and the New England Power Company.
Hydroelectric power plants have the ability to vary the amount of power generated, depending on the demand. Steam turbine power plants are not as easily "throttled" because of the amount of thermodynamic inertia contained in their systems.
[edit] History
President Herbert Hoover initiated the generation of electricity from Comerford Dam, then New England's largest single hydroelectric development. This was the first in a series, harnessing hydroelectric power in the United States in the 1930s. The power was sent 126 miles (203 km) for use in Massachusetts.[4] At the time of its construction, it was the largest "retaining wall" in the United States, representing more than 90,000 cubic yards (69,000 m³) of concrete.[5]
In 2005, USGen New England sold the dam to TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b State of Vermont Public Service Board accessed March 16, 2008
- ^ Plymouth State News
- ^ Subsidiaries of TransCanada
- ^ Vermonter.com, "Concord, Vermont - Natural Resources"
- ^ Frances Ann Johnson (1955). The History of Monroe, New Hampshire. Courier Printing Company., p. 110
