TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: 25 Hz Power Re: Tie Lines was Re: Foreign Exchange Lines

Re: 25 Hz Power Re: Tie Lines was Re: Foreign Exchange Lines

Ben Bass (benbass@verizon.net)
Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:37:08 GMT

Howard S. Wharton wrote:

> I believe the power lines from the falls crossing over from Canada to
> the US by the Peace Bridge is still 25 cycles. Who in Buffalo is still
> using it, I don't know.

Niagara Mohawk ceased production of 25 cycle when the Schoellkopf
Power Station, predecessor to the Niagara Power project, literally
fell into the Niagara gorge. That was June 7,1956. Three - 70,000
horsepower and three - 32,500 horsepower generators, mostly 25 cycle
were dumped into the Niagara River.

It was more cost-effective, due to the relatively low demand, to buy
25 Hz from Canadian Niagara than to build facilities to produce it.

As of five years ago, Niagara Mohawk was still buying 25 Hz power from
Canada and maintained a distribution grid in Buffalo. The NY Public
Service Commission was allowing them to phase out the offering of 25
Hz. They were allowed to divide any costs associated with offering
and maintaining 25 Hz service among the handful of remaining
users. This was to be a disincentive to continued use of 25
cycle. They were also offering incentives for the users to retrofit
their equipment to operate on 60 Hz.

I was working for a company that still had 25 Hz elevators and an
ancient meter and panel. I was attending meetings with Niagara Mohawk
to negotiate incentives to change to 60 Hz.

Again, this is 5 years ago. At the time there were a couple of scrap
dealers, several businesses with 25 Hz elevators, a large frozen food
facility, and a major producer of cereal products still using 25 Hz.

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