29-Community-Input

Chaffee County’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy 29

Community Input

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the early days of Buena Vista, the smelter located in the site of the ball fields would dump slag into the river. This created a dam, which became the head for the turbine. There was a diesel backup. To start the diesel, a half stick of dynamite was used to get the wheel turning.

  Art Judd was the manager of the power plant. Joe Cogan would take his 6-volt battery up to the power plant and Art Judd would charge it for free. Joe used the battery to power his radio.

Today, Joe Cogan’s house works off a high-head water turbine that has been in operation since 1919. The initial output was 3 kilowatts, today it is 11 kilowatts and drops to 5 kilowatts during irrigation.

 

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