At A Glance: The “Turkey Bulge”
- Phenomenon: Sharp rise in energy use Thanksgiving morning
- Region: Pacific Northwest (Columbia River Basin)
- 2024 Spike: +950 MW increase vs. previous day
- Total Capacity: 14,680 MW (powers ~11.6 million homes)
- Key Benefit: Rapid dispatchability to stabilize grid
This Thursday, people across the Pacific Northwest will use ovens to bake turkeys, air fryers to crisp vegetables, mixers to fluff mashed potatoes and OLED televisions to gawk at parades and sportsball. Likely, many people are grateful for the conveniences that make Thanksgiving preparations and entertainment relatively easy and enjoyable. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers humbly recommends giving appreciation for consistent, affordable and easily dispatchable hydropower (of course, USACE would suggest that).
What connects hydropower to Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a unique experience for power providers. That’s because people tend to consume electricity unusually, compared to normal, non-turkey cooking days. Data from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) shows electricity demand peaks higher than normal on Thanksgiving morning within its transmission area. This could be due to people preparing meals with electric appliances. BPA staff have referred to this phenomenon as the “turkey bulge.” BPA data from 2024 shows an increase of about 950 megawatts of hydropower generation on Thanksgiving morning compared to the previous day. Additionally, the data shows an increase of more than 1,400 mw on both days in the late morning.
| Day/Time | Total hydro generation (mw) | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 11/27/24 10 a.m. | 7,575 | – |
| 11/28/24 10 a.m. | 8,516 | +941 |
| 11/27/24 11 a.m. | 7,022 | – |
| 11/28/24 11 a.m. | 8,488 | +1,466 |
| 11/27/24 12 p.m. | 7,032 | – |
| 11/28/24 12 p.m. | 8,291 | +1,259 |
Carb crashes and a stable grid
People tend to reduce electricity usage at a steep rate on Thanksgiving afternoon compared to the day before. Is this tied to a carbohydrate crash? Perhaps. Either way, demand dropped later in the afternoon and evening. Thankfully, hydroelectric turbines can turn on and off quickly, responding to demand and keeping the grid stable.
The Pacific Northwest – power full
Dams in the Columbia River Basin produce more electricity than any other North American river. They provide nearly 60 percent of the Northwest’s electricity and almost 90 percent of its renewable energy. USACE dams in the region can generate up to 14,680 mw of electricity. That’s enough to power more than 11.6* million homes!
“Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on the relationships and blessings we enjoy in this country,” said Josh Erickson, Northwestern Division Hydropower Program manager. “In the Northwest, we enjoy healthy relationships with our federal partners (BPA and Bureau of Reclamation) to provide low-cost, safe and reliable power throughout the region,” he said. “As an extra helping, we get to enjoy the responsiveness of our hydropower plants that can ramp up and down within minutes to meet the peaking demands that are experienced throughout the Thanksgiving Holiday.”
An extra serving of gratitude
If extra servings during Thanksgiving are popular, consider another plateful of gratitude for hydropower. Revenue from BPA’s power sales help repay the original construction costs of the dams. It also funds the operation, maintenance and modernization investments of hydropower infrastructure. All these ingredients help power Thanksgiving traditions across the region.
USACE dams generate power in megawatts (mw) at these locations in the Columbia River Basin:
- Portland, Ore.: Bonneville Dam (1,340 mw)
- North-central Ore.: The Dalles (1,967 mw) and John Day (2,480 mw) dams
- Eugene and Salem, Ore.: nine dams with 504 mw capacity
- Medford, Ore.: Lost Creek Dam (60 mw)
- Spokane, Wash.: Albeni Falls Dam (49 mw)
- North-central Wash.: Chief Joseph Dam (2,613 mw)
- Southeast, Wash.: McNary (1127 mw), Ice Harbor (687 mw), Lower Monumental (930 mw), Little Goose (930 mw) and Lower Granite (930 mw) dams
- Lewiston, Idaho: Dworshak Dam (459 mw)
- Northwestern Mont.: Libby Dam (604 mw)
USACE’S hydropower program is the largest generator of hydropower in the US, with 75 power-producing dams housing 356 individual generating units.
*The Northwest Power and Conservation Council estimates one megawatt can power 796.36 homes.
Frequently Asked Questions: Hydropower & Holidays
What causes the “Turkey Bulge” in energy demand?
The “Turkey Bulge” is a term used by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to describe the sudden spike in electricity usage on Thanksgiving morning. This is caused by millions of residents simultaneously turning on electric ovens and appliances to prepare holiday meals.
Does the power grid crash after lunch?
Interestingly, data shows a steep drop in electricity usage in the afternoon—jokingly referred to as the “carb crash”—as cooking finishes and families relax. Hydropower is uniquely suited for this because turbines can ramp down generation within minutes to match this drop, keeping the grid stable.
How much power do Columbia River Basin dams produce?
Dams in the Columbia River Basin provide nearly 60% of the Northwest’s electricity and almost 90% of its renewable energy. USACE dams in the region have a total capacity of 14,680 megawatts.
