Hydropower offers numerous advantages over alternative fuels.
Hydropower is:
- Renewable. The earth provides a continual supply of water from rainfall and snowmelt.
- Efficient. Hydropower plants convert about 90 percent of the energy in falling water into electricity.
- Clean. Hydropower plants do not emit waste heat and greenhouse gases.
- Reliable. Hydropower machinery is relatively simple, which makes it reliable and durable.
- Flexible. Units can start quickly and adjust rapidly to changes in electricity demand.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the largest operator of hydroelectric power plants in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The 75 Corps plants have a total installed capacity of 20,474 megawatts and produce nearly 100 billion kilowatt-hours a year. This is nearly a third of the nations total hydropower output: enough energy to serve about ten million households, or roughly ten cities the size of Seattle, WA.
Corps hydropower plants play a key role in the economy by offering an affordable power source, which helps keep overall energy prices down. Because they don't use fossil fuels, Corps hydropower plants are also better for the environment than other sources of electrical power. Without hydropower, the U.S. would have to burn much more coal, oil, and natural gas every year. The increasing availability of hydropower also helps reduce America's dependence on other nations for fuel.
The Corps collaborates on its hydropower efforts with the Department of Energy and a variety of other federal, regional and state agencies and private companies. The Corps is upgrading many of its facilities to increase efficiency and reliability. Because of its significant advantages over other energy sources, hydropower will continue to play an important role in meeting the nation's energy needs in the years to come.
Directly west of the cache is a great view of the historic Powerhouse 1. To the northwest toward the Visitor Center is an actual turbine once used in that Powerhouse. Special thanks to AZtravelers and SLOGUY for making this cache happen.
After finding "Green Power," you may wish to go to the nearby Bradford Island Visitor Center to take a tour of the original powerhouse, learn about the history of Bonneville Lock and Dam and the Columbia Gorge, or watch migrating fish as they make their way up the fish ladders.
This cache is located at Bonneville Lock and Dam, one of the Columbia River Hydropower Projects operated by the Corps. It is located on the Oregon side of the river and can be accessed only from Interstate 84, exit 40. The Bonneville Lock and Dam Visitor Center is open to visitors from 9 am to 5 pm daily (except New Years Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). The cache location is available during these hours, and there is parking nearby.
This cache has been placed with the approval of the Bonneville Park Manager. Please respect all signage regarding roads and areas not open to the public.
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