Dams   by Tom Heald   Airs Dec. 9, 2007    1:21 long

I’m here at Pathfinder Dam in central Wyoming, and let me tell you, hydroelectric power is one of the most daunting forms of electricity production anywhere.  In many cases, massive walls of structural material rise hundreds of feet in the air to hold back millions of acre feet of water.  The raw power behind these walls is unimaginable. 

The kinetic energy of the water behind a dam is converted into electricity as it rushes through penstocks, or pipes, spinning the turbines in the heart of the dam, which ultimately spin the generators that produce the electricity.

Large turbines can discharge over 23,000 gallons per second, and some dams may have up to four turbines within them. Wyoming has 13 hydro-power plants spread across the state, and in 2005 they produced almost 800 million kilowatt hours of electricity.  Certainly more than enough to meet Wyoming’s needs. In addition to energy production, these dams also provide irrigation and drinking water storage, and places for recreational activities such as fishing or water sports.