Mechanicville Hydro Plant Tour
Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant
The IAS Chapter and the DEIS Chapter of the IEEE Schenectady Section is organizing a tour of the historic hydroelectric power plant located in Mechanicville, NY - http://www.edisontechcenter.org/Mechanicville.html. The owner, Jim Besha has offered our group a tour of the facility on July 11th, 2025 from 10 am to 12 pm.
Below are some details about the plant.
Distinction: This is the oldest 3-phase AC hydro-power plant in continuous service. This site was used for experiments by AC pioneer Charles Steinmetz and later Albert W. Hull
Frequency: 40 cycle. There wasn't a standard yet for frequency used for the design of this plant nor for the transmission line. In later years the site had 40 cycle to 60 cycle frequency converters installed to allow power to be supplied to the grid.
Power Transmission Length: 19 miles back to the General Electric plant.
Power system built by: General Electric
Notable Engineers: Charles P. Steinmetz, William Stanley, Elihu Thomson
Maximum Power Output: 5250 kW
Date and Time
Location
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- Starts 06 June 2025 04:00 AM UTC
- Ends 10 July 2025 04:00 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Agenda
This event is limited to 25-30 attendees. The IAS Chapter and DEIS Chapter are first to receive this invitation. Please register early if you plan to attend. This invitation will be opened up to the general IEEE Schenectady Section as we get closer to the tour date. This is an unique location with local history that is well worth the time to experience its value.