The Power of Water
Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydroelectric power or hydropower.
Ferry Electric Company was the electrical contractor on the construction of the hydroelectric plant on the Youghiogheny River Lake dam shown in the photographs on this page. This hydroplant is located on the dam of the Youghiogheny River, about a half mile above Confluence, Pa. The lake is located in Fayette and Somerset Counties in Pennsylvania and Garrett County in Maryland.
Youghiogheny Hydroelectric Authority holds a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license to operate this hydroelectric plant which has been operated and maintained by D/R Hydro Company since 1989. The plant has the capacity to generate up to 12 Megawatts of electricity per hour, which is enough to service approximately 8,000 homes for a year. The power generated by this hydroplant is fed into the Penelec power system and is used over its entire area which includes most of western and central Pennsylvania.