York Haven Hydro Station: A working relic

"It stands almost literally in the shadows of Three Mile Island's cooling towers. But it produces only five-percent the electricity, compared to the nuclear plant. The York Haven Hydro Station was once one of the biggest power plants in the US.

The trip to the century old York Haven Hydro Station begins on a serene note. A gentle rain falls on the Susquehanna. To get to the hydro station Manager Doug Weaver leads us through a tunnel that actually sits atop the dam that channels river water into the plant.

Then you begin to hear it.
The constant rumble of the plant's aging turbines, 20 of them.

It's as if the hydro station has creaky, hundred year old bones, crying out for a rest. In fact the plant is so old most parts are no longer available. So using raw metal stock and 1904 blue prints, plant employees make replacement parts from scratch." Read on.


Photo: "York Haven" Canon EOS 20D © Kim Choate 2006