The Miller-Penstock Generation Plant is an EastRock Electric operated experimental generation plant. It uses a unique system involving an offshore facility, water sluices, and Kelvin Bombs to generate energy with limited efficiency.
The plant was initially greenlit after a supposedly comprehensive study determined an extremely high efficiency rate. Many of the calculations were later found to be erroneous or outright false due to pressure placed on Eastrock engineers. Some internal memos revealed suspicions that agents were planted on the research team to falsify calculation results, in order to encourage Eastrock to waste time on less efficient generation methods.
The plant took 17 years to construct and, although electricity output was much less than anticipated, Eastrock determined that operations were just barely viable financially and opted to keep the plant in operation.
The main facility consists of a large offshore blast pit formed by a circular wall stretching 300 metres from the surface to the ocean floor. Sluice gates around the top of the wall allow a controlled flow of water to pass through a turbine and into the pit. A cylindrical shaft rises from partway down the blast pit, passing through the center of the turbine and culminating in a generating room and central control tower above sea level. Numerous walkways connect the central control tower to the outer walls, and a port area outside the walls facilitates water transportation and residential areas for workers.
1. In the default state, the blast pit sits partially full of seawater and the sluice gates are closed. 2. A carefully calibrated Kelvin Bomb is dropped down the main shaft. 3. The cooling radius drains energy from the seawater, freezing the entire blast pit. 4. The bomb detonates, propelling all of the ice up and out of the blast pit in the form of a fine powder. The powder is dispersed by redirection bevels and fans on the central control tower, and it settles into the ocean. 5. The sluice gates are opened, allowing water to pour through the turbine and refill the blast pit. 6. A shaft transfers the the rotational energy of the turbine to the central control tower where it is converted to electricity for distribution. 7. The process is repeated at regular intervals.