The Mt. Elbert Pumped-Storage Powerplant is on the north shore of picturesque
Twin Lakes, approximately 13 miles southwest of Leadville, Colorado. The powerplant was designed with modern architectural lines and is an all concrete
structure equivalent to a 14 story building, although most of the structure is
below ground.
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Power is generated from water stored in the Mt.
Elbert Forebay. The water drops 447 feet, spinning the two
138,000 horsepower hydroelectric turbine-generators and developing
200,000 kilowatts of electrical power.
To supplement the flow-through
water received from Turquoise Lake through the Mt. Elbert Conduit, these
generators have been designed to operate as a 170,000 horsepower electric motor
that drives the turbines in reverse, pumping the same water back up to refill the forebay. This pumping mode normally will be used during the very early
morning hours, when power demands are low and surplus low-rate power is received
from other generating stations. This pump back storage principle is
advantageous since the generating unites can be started quickly and adjustments
of power output can be made rapidly to respond to varying patterns of daily and
seasonal power demands.
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