Ocoee No. 1

Ocoee No. 1. Updating TVA's oldest plant. , Once called the “Dynamo of Dixie,” Ocoee No. 1 has dependably and efficiently generated electricity for most of this century. When built in 1912, hydroelectric power in the United States was in its infancy., Over the years the powerhouse electrical and mechanical equipment has been replaced with newer, turbine/generators and controls. The five generators, originally designed to produce 18,000 kilowatts of electricity, have been upgraded to produce 19,200 kilowatts., To meet modern design standards, the dam has been strengthened and resurfaced., Captions (clockwise from top left): , Old reliable From 1911 to early 1970, the 256 m (840 ft.) long concrete dam at Ocoee No. 1 reliably performed its function of supplying water to the five powerhouse turbines. , Dam renovation In the early seventies, the dam was renovated to meet modern design standards. Structurally, the dam was performing as designed in the early 20th century. During renovation, the dam was merely strengthened and resurfaced. , Modern controls Updated controls were installed as part of the powerhouse renovation. , Control room Before renovation, the controls were located on a balcony overlooking the powerhouse floor. , Before renovation The interior of the powerhouse as it looked before renovation. , After renovation The balcony control panels were moved to a separate area equipped with updated controls.