| The Niagara River is one of the world's greatest sources of hydroelectric
power. The beauty of its wild descent from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario attracts
millions of visitors each year. During its short course (56 km), the river drops
99 metres, with much of the spectacular plunge concentrated in a 13 km stretch
of waterfalls and rapids.
Water was first diverted from the Canadian side of the Niagara River for generating
electricity in 1893. A small 2,200 kilowatt plant was built just above the Horseshoe
Falls to power an electric railway between the communities of Queenston and Chippawa.
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Today the churning river provides the driving force for almost 2 million
kilowatts of electricity from a number of power plants on the Canadian side. The
three largest are Sir Adam Beck Niagara Generating Station Nos. 1 and 2 and the
nearby pumping-generating station. |
| On the American side of the border, down river from the Falls, the Robert
Moses Niagara Power Plant and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant, together generate
more than 2.4 million kilowatts of electricity, enough to power 24 million 100-watt
lightbulbs. |
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| Although no tours offered of power plants on the Canadian side
of the border, there is a Reception Centre at the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant
on the American side. |
For more information on the tours, phone (716) 285-3211
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