Pumped Storage Facility
‘ Location: Raccoon Mountain west of Chattanooga near the Tennessee River ‘ Capacity: 1,652 megawatts of electricity can be generated for up to 22 hours ‘ Power source: 528-acre lake stores water that generates peak power through four turbines ‘ Purpose: Like a giant battery, the plant helps balance TVA’s power load by using surplus power to pump water up to the lake during low demand periods and generates power during peak demand by drawing down the reservoir ‘ History: Construction started in 1970 and was completed in 1978 ‘ Cost: Initial construction was $310 million and TVA spent $90 to repair cracked rotors from 2012 to 2014. ‘ Distinction: The mountaintop dam is 230 feet high and 5,800 feet long – the largest rock-fill dam ever built by TVA
Raccoon Mountain is not the place this season to see fall colors or go bike riding.
That’s because Raccoon Mountain Road is closed to traffic until Nov. 21: Trucks and heavy equipment will be lumbering up and down the road as the Tennessee Valley Authority inspects and does maintenance to its pumped storage power plant and reservoir.
“Bikes and trucks don’t mix,” TVA spokesman Scott Fiedler said. “It’s a safety issue.”
It’s a big project. The 528-acre reservoir has been drawn down, and a crew of about 150 people will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to inspect and repair the mountaintop facility that opened in 1978 and looks like the setting for a James Bond movie.