Seneca Pumped Storage Generating Station
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| Location | Warren County, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Owner | FirstEnergy |
| Status | Peak |
| Fuel | Hydroelectric |
| Technology | Water turbine |
| Pumped Storage | yes |
| Max Capacity | 435 MW |
| Commissioned | 1970 |
| Adjacent to Kinzua Dam in the Allegheny National Forest | |
The Seneca Pumped Storage Generating Station is a hydroelectric power plant using pumped storage of water to generate electric power. It is located near Warren, Pennsylvania in Warren County.
Seneca Station is colocated with the Kinzua Dam, near Warren, Pennsylvania. The dam was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to regulate the Allegheny River as part of a larger flood control project, and, as a secondary role, to generate hydroelectric power. It created the Allegheny Reservoir, a lake that stretches 25 miles (40 km) upriver.
The power plant, rated at 435 MW, was built by the Pennsylvania Electric Company and Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. It began commercial operation in 1970. Through business mergers and acquisitions, the plant is now owned by FirstEnergy, an operator of several base load (nuclear and coal-fired) power plants.
Pumped storage plants function similarly to a storage battery; They absorb excess power generated by such plants in off-peak hours, such as nighttime, using it to pump water into a reservoir. Later, when demand exceeds the base load, the flow of water from the reservoir generates additional electrical power to meet peak load demands.
