Project
Operations
The
Seneca Project relies on the storage provided by Allegheny
Reservoir for its water supply. Water is pumped up
approximately 800 feet from the lower reservoir (Allegheny Reservoir)
to the upper
reservoir during times
of low power demand. The Seneca Project is operated to
release the water stored in the upper reservoir in order to generate
electricity when power demands are high.
The following graphs show the water levels in the Seneca Project
upper and lower reservoirs over a one month period.
The figures depict the diurnal fluctuation in water levels associated
with pumping water to the upper reservoir during the night when
power demands are low and releasing water to generate electricity
during the peaking power demands of the day.
|
Seneca Project
upper reservoir pool stage
Graph from U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, www.RiverGages.com
|
Seneca
Project lower reservoir/Allegheny Reservoir stage at Kinzua Dam (real-time
updated)
Seneca
Project lower reservoir/Allegheny Reservoir stage at Allegany Territory-Pennsylvania state line (real-time
updated)
| The
streamflows in the Allegheny River are an important factor determining
how the Seneca Project will be operated. The following three
graphs show the streamflows above, at the dam's outlet,
and below Allegheny Reservoir (the Seneca Project lower reservoir) in
the Allegheny River. The flows at these locations play a
substantial role in determining the amount
of water which can be utilized by the Seneca Project for hydropower
generation. |
Allegheny
River
discharge at
Salamanca, New York (real-time updated)
Kinzua
Dam outlet
discharge into the Allegheny River, Pennsylvania (real-time updated)
Allegheny
River
discharge below Conewango Creek at Warren, Pennsylvania (real-time
updated)
Power
Generation Data
| Although
the Seneca Project uses
more energy than it produces in total, the Seneca Project is able to
provide a benefit to power users by storing water during
times of low power demand and releasing water in order to generate
electricity during peaking power
demands. The following tables show the gross energy generation, energy
consumption, and net energy generation recorded for the Seneca Project
by the Energy Information Agency from 2004 to 2009.
|
| Gross
Energy Generation, MWH |
| Year |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Annual |
| 2004 |
68,664 |
20,694 |
33,206 |
26,638 |
43,678 |
65,254 |
66,474 |
70,795 |
75,105 |
47,821 |
67,645 |
75,769 |
661,743 |
| 2005 |
71,818 |
59,948 |
65,945 |
66,549 |
49,175 |
48,619 |
51,684 |
55,603 |
50,692 |
50,604 |
48,644 |
64,485 |
683,766 |
| 2006 |
58,638 |
51,612 |
40,537 |
35,437 |
28,159 |
64,878 |
75,475 |
74,818 |
66,774 |
60,012 |
63,169 |
61,444 |
680,953 |
| 2007 |
-- |
52,296 |
39,725 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| 2008 |
64,004 |
62,295 |
68,386 |
64,700 |
48,245 |
73,975 |
82,312 |
81,442 |
42,660 |
53,979 |
53,204 |
52,981 |
748,183 |
| 2009 |
61,876 |
61,616 |
59,996 |
44,274 |
54,736 |
54,595 |
73,161 |
72,780 |
43,493 |
60,979 |
39,895 |
57,035 |
684,436 |
| Mean |
65,000 |
51,410 |
51,299 |
47,520 |
44,799 |
61,464 |
69,821 |
71,088 |
55,745 |
54,679 |
54,511 |
62,343 |
691,816 |
Energy Data Source: Energy Information Agency. (2009). "Form
EIA-906: Monthly Utility Power Plant Database."
| Energy
Consumption in Pumping Mode, MWH |
| Year |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Annual |
| 2004 |
89,840 |
27,424 |
46,240 |
35,227 |
59,094 |
83,868 |
89,628 |
96,379 |
98,563 |
66,529 |
90,984 |
92,458 |
876,234 |
| 2005 |
90,315 |
78,280 |
90,007 |
92,565 |
70,055 |
66,541 |
70,726 |
74,936 |
70,017 |
71,105 |
65,794 |
89,976 |
930,317 |
| 2006 |
79,229 |
72,897 |
52,959 |
45,550 |
40,337 |
88,607 |
101,467 |
103,013 |
87,505 |
83,432 |
87,144 |
83,389 |
925,529 |
| 2007 |
-- |
71,781 |
53,021 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| 2008 |
84,428 |
84,178 |
92,693 |
87,677 |
66,576 |
100,401 |
109,696 |
110,279 |
59,074 |
73,910 |
73,165 |
71,540 |
1,013,617 |
| 2009 |
87,157 |
83,756 |
88,872 |
63,796 |
79,404 |
71,045 |
99,936 |
98,655 |
57,250 |
83,244 |
54,184 |
75,103 |
942,402 |
| Mean |
86,194 |
69,719 |
70,632 |
64,963 |
63,093 |
82,092 |
94,291 |
96,652 |
74,482 |
75,644 |
74,254 |
82,493 |
937,620 |
Energy Data Source: Energy Information Agency. (2009). "Form
EIA-906: Monthly Utility Power Plant Database."
| Net
Energy Generation, MWH |
| Year |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Annual |
| 2004 |
-21,176 |
-6,730 |
-13,034 |
-8,589 |
-15,416 |
-18,614 |
-23,154 |
-25,584 |
-23,458 |
-18,708 |
-23,339 |
-16,689 |
-214,491 |
| 2005 |
-18,497 |
-18,332 |
-24,062 |
-26,016 |
-20,880 |
-17,922 |
-19,042 |
-19,333 |
-19,325 |
-20,501 |
-17,150 |
-25,491 |
-246,551 |
| 2006 |
-20,591 |
-21,285 |
-12,422 |
-10,113 |
-12,178 |
-23,729 |
-25,992 |
-28,195 |
-20,731 |
-23,420 |
-23,975 |
-21,945 |
-244,576 |
| 2007 |
-24,567 |
-19,485 |
-13,296 |
-2,936 |
-16,937 |
-23,080 |
-23,917 |
-21,692 |
-22,853 |
-23,816 |
-18,192 |
-20,442 |
-231,213 |
| 2008 |
-20,424 |
-21,883 |
-24,307 |
-22,977 |
-18,331 |
-26,426 |
-27,384 |
-28,837 |
-16,414 |
-19,931 |
-19,961 |
-18,559 |
-265,434 |
| 2009 |
-25,281 |
-22,140 |
-28,876 |
-19,522 |
-24,668 |
-16,450 |
-26,775 |
-25,875 |
-13,757 |
-22,265 |
-14,289 |
-18,068 |
-257,966 |
| Mean |
-21,756 |
-18,309 |
-19,333 |
-15,026 |
-18,068 |
-21,037 |
-24,377 |
-24,919 |
-19,423 |
-21,440 |
-19,484 |
-20,199 |
-243,372 |
Energy Data Source: Energy Information Agency. (2009). "Form
EIA-906: Monthly Utility Power Plant Database."
|
|
License
Information
The FERC
license for
the Seneca Pumped Storage Project, FERC Docket
Number 2280, expires in November of 2015.
Contact
Information
Kinzua Dam Relicensing Commission
Allegany Administration Building
P.O. Box 231 90 Ohi: yo' Way Salamanca, Allegany
Territory
14779
|
