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The Big Dam Era – Energy History

energyhistory.yale.edu · 1,526 words · saved by 1 readers

The era of large-scale hydroelectric dam building spanned roughly four decades, from the 1930s through the 1960s. Symbolically, the era commenced with Hoover Dam’s dedication in 1935. Hoover, however, was a culmination of larger technological and political changes. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, a combination of large dams, powerful turbines, and high-tension transmission lines enabled electrical utilities to harness enormous energy from running water and to distribute power more than a hundred miles from electric generators. Hydroelectric power, or “white coal,” offered an alternative to fossil fuel-powered electric energy that, for progressive-age Americans, promised social and environmental benefits. Power dams offered cheap, pollution-free, and renewable energy sources. Progressives promoted centralized federal dams as a means to establish publicly-owned power and to electrify rural areas, making dams prominent objects of antimonopoly politics and social reform. B

Overview Library items Additional Reading Author Bio Timeline Overview Gabriel Lee The era of large-scale hydroelectric dam building spanned roughly four decades, from the 1930s through the 1960s. Symbolically, the era commenced with Hoover Dam’s dedication in 1935. Hoover, however, was a culmination of larger technological and political changes. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, a combination of large dams, powerful turbines, and high-tension transmission lines enabled electrical utilities to harness enormous energy from running water and to distribute power more than a hundred

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