Chattanooga, TN -- The Tennessee Valley Authority has shut down a hydroelectric power plant on Raccoon Mountain after cracks were found in rotors.
The plant near Chattanooga has provided hydroelectric power for 34 years, but was taken out of service in March. TVA Vice President John McCormick told the Chattanooga Time Free Press (http://bit.ly/Ql0ad2 ) the utility hopes one of the four generators can be repaired within two years. He referred to the other three as "900,000 pounds of scrap."
The German firm that designed the units told TVA to check the rotors for cracks after a similar plant in Austria splintered in late 2009. There are two similar plants in Virginia and California facing the same problem.
------
Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com
Associated Press