Reclamation=s first hydroelectric powerplant was built to aid construction of the Theodore
Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River about 75 miles northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Small
hydroelectric generators, installed prior to construction, provided energy for construction and for
equipment to lift stone blocks into place. Surplus power was sold to the community, and citizens
were quick to support expansion of the dam=s hydroelectric capacity. A 4,500-kW powerplant
was constructed and, in 1909, five generators were in operation, providing power to pump
irrigation water and furnishing electricity to the Phoenix area.