City water is brought into the power plant where it is purified by a reverse osmosis de-mineralizing system. The water is then pumped by 500 horsepower pumps which increases the water's pressure to 1400 pounds per square inch.

This high-pressure water is preheated to 400° Fahrenheit using steam extracted from the turbine. This step improves the efficiency of the boilers. The water flows through approximately seven miles of pipe in one of four boilers where it is boiled into steam and then superheated until it reaches 900° Fahrenheit and 900 pounds per square inch (psi). This is the equivalent of roughly one-half ton of weight on your thumb.

The steam is drawn off the boilers through a ten-inch header to one of the steam turbine/generators. The steam passes through the turbine/generator, which is similar to a series of fans. The steam makes these fans spin, turning a shaft which is coupled to an electromagnet inside the generator. The magnet spins at 3600 revolutions per minute or 60 cycles per second, producing electricity at 60 hertz (Hz).