At the Georgia Aquarium, Penguins, Alligators, Whales & More Rely on Cat® Power

It’s no secret that people around the world rely on Cat® power, but African penguins, American alligators and Beluga whales? At the Georgia Aquarium, these water-based creatures—and 100,000 other animals—definitely do.

The Atlanta-based facility features more animals than any other aquarium, in more than 10 million gallons of water. A power outage wouldn’t just be disruptive to visitors—it could be devastating to the fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and others who call the aquarium home.

“I have 100,000 residents who are permanent residents of the aquarium,” says David Nash, plant engineer and senior technician. “They deserve the best.”

That’s why the aquarium relies on Cat generator sets for stand-by power. Three 2,000-kilowatt 3516 units provide emergency power, supporting pumps, filtration and lighting for the animals’ habitats. Another 750-kilowatt 3508 gen set, donated by Cat dealer Yancey Bros., provides building life safety.

“Caterpillar and the local Cat dealer here, Yancey, provide iron, but in the end it’s all about what that iron does,” says Steve Niehaus, vice president of Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division. “It provides sustainable life.”

And for Nash’s aquarium family, only Cat power will do.

“There’s good, better and best, and Caterpillar’s the best,” he says. “The fish depend on it. I have 100,000 residents here who voted for me to tell you all, ‘Thank you.’”