Tuxedo Hydro Work Requires Lowering Lake Summit in Fall 2012
Duke Energy will perform a required maintenance project at the Tuxedo Hydro Station on Lake Summit this fall, requiring a temporary 30-foot drawdown from full pond.
- (1888PressRelease) July 12, 2012 - Duke Energy contractors need to replace wooden trash racks that are original to the station from the 1920s. Trash racks at the base of the hydro station prevent logs and debris from entering the penstock, or tunnel that provides water to the turbines. This work will require divers to perform work underwater, and the significant drawdown is necessary to ensure a safe work environment.
To achieve this lake level, Duke Energy will operate the two Tuxedo Hydro Station generating units to gradually lower the lake starting Sept. 4. The lake elevation will be maintained 30 feet below full pond through most of October.
As divers complete work on lower levels of the trash racks in late October, Duke Energy will allow the lake to fill. The work is expected to be completed in early November, and the rate of lake refill will depend on rainfall. Duke Energy expects the entire project, from drawdown to refilling, to span about three months.
Duke Energy has scheduled this work after the peak recreation season closes Labor Day weekend and advises lake residents and boating enthusiasts to remove their boats or secure them safely along the shoreline to prevent damage.
Barges will move onto the lake Sept. 4 to get in position before the lake level declines. The public boat ramp also will be out of service a few days following Sept. 4 as the lake level drops.
Property owners interested in conducting dredging or shoreline stabilization work must receive approval from Duke Energy Lake Services and a state water quality permit. Duke Energy Lake Services may be contacted at 800-443-5193.
The construction schedule may fluctuate based on inclement weather, as diver work could be suspended temporarily for safety. Current lake levels and lake information are available at www.duke-energy.com and by calling 800-829-5253 (LAKE.)
Duke Energy Carolinas owns nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides approximately 19,500 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 2.4 million customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with more than $97 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.1 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information is available at: www.duke-energy.com.
CONTACT:
Erin Culbert - 800-559-3853
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