Ok, so now for the real reason I came to Phoenix. The Electric Systems Short Course. Sponsored in part by EEI, the objective of the course is to educate the federal land management agencies on the ins and outs of siting utility infrastructure. I was lucky enough to get to come and learn all kinds of stuff about how to build and maintain transmission lines.
The course included a field trip today to the Santan Generating Station - a combined cycle natural gas plant owned by Salt River Project as well as their transmission and distribution operations centers. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take too many pictures (go figure, they don't want pictures of their critical infrastructure posted on the web), but it was a very cool day. I got to see the turbines up close, learn about the water issues facing Arizona (power plants require water to run), learn how people monitor the power grid 24/7 to ensure reliable service, and see up close some of the birds that often have run ins (literally) with power lines. The day also included a safety demonstration by a couple of linemen of what happens to you if you touch a live electric wire. They used grapefruits, bananas, and hot dogs to simulate a peson's heart and fingers and applied voltage.
Scary stuff!! At the end of the trip, we also stopped by a small hydro plant located along a canal in Phoenix.
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