Hydroelectric Power in Amador County

In Amador County, impulse turbines, or high-pressure water wheels, grew out of technology first developed in the foothill gold fields of Northern California to produce rotating mechanical power. Early designs came from the Donnelly and Knight foundries of Sutter Creek, and later Pelton and Doble improved them. When electricity emerged as a power source in the 1890s, these turbines were coupled to dynamos, or generators, to make electricity from the region’s existing high-pressure water sources. The first hydroelectric operation in Amador County stood in Sutter Creek at the corner of Main Street and Badger (Foundry Street) beside the creek. The Amador Railway and Electric Light Co., formed in 1893, began producing electricity in 1894, mainly for lighting, and extended power lines to Amador City and Jackson as the plant expanded to meet rising demand. During this period and into the early 1900s, Knight Foundry produced hydroelectric equipment for use across the western United States and around the world. In 1895, Blue Lakes Water Co. began planning the first powerhouse on the Mokelumne River at Blue Lakes City; it began producing power in 1897 and sent electricity as far as Stockton. In 1898, Blue Lakes Water Co. bought the original Amador Electric Light Co. and combined the systems. That same year, Standard Electric Co. was formed under the direction of Prince Andre Poniatowaski, and plans were made for the first Electra Powerhouse to send electricity to the San Francisco Bay Area. Electra Powerhouse was completed and began operation in 1902. Standard Electric Company was purchased by the California Gas & Electric Corporation, which became Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) in 1905, and PG&E continues to own and operate hydroelectric facilities on the Mokelumne River today.

Sutter Creek, California · United States