California pumped hydro storage potential…a sleeping giant.

[Fledermaus]

As renewable energy, specifically wind, make deeper penetrations, the need for energy storage and grid stabilization has grown. Utilities are turning to one of the oldest forms of energy storage, pumped hydro storage. Pumped storage is simple, efficient, and responds quickly to demands. Countries, like Denmark, that have little hydro potential, have made arrangements with countries that do have the necessary hydro potentials. When Denmark’s wind output is to high they sell it to Scandinavian countries. When Denmark’s wind output is low they receive power back from the Scandinavian countries. Germany has made a similar arrangement with Austria.

What are the potentials in the United States for the same type of arrangement between states? What are the pumped storage potentials for the Rocky and Appellation mountains?

The pumped storage potential of California gives a look at this potential.

Hydroelectric power in California

The pumped storage potential of the state has an upper limit of 6.5 quads, all undeveloped. It is anticipated that development of the pumped storage potential of the state will follow simultaneous and parallel development of other renewable resources, notably wind.

The attendant water and land requirements for the full development of the 6.5 quads of the pumped storage potential, do not pose any strain on the natural resources of the state since they constitute only 1.0% of the annual rainfall and 0.1% of the land of California. Finally, hydroelectric development entails, in most cases, changes in the environment. Past experience, however, has proven that responsible study, planning, and execution of any hydroelectric project always leads to results beneficial to both nature and humanity.

http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?...

California

Total Retail Sales
(megawatt hours) 262,958,528
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/e_...

This is what California uses in a year. 262,958,528, gigawatt hour = 0.897251700 quad
California’s pumped storage potential upper limit is 6.5 quads. California has the potential to store over seven year worth of electricity.

I think the numbers speak for them selfs.

[Nederland]

1. Question

How much habitat would be destroyed to create that much storage?

[Massacure]

2. The article mentions that 0.1% of California's land would be needed. n/t

[Dead_Parrot]

11. Far too much, obviously

I can't think think of any large hydro project that hasn't brought the nimby's out in force: It would be interesting to see if any of the sites suggested in the paper have actually had any projects developed, and dropped, and in the last 30 years.

[Fledermaus]

15. I’m not advocating developing the full potential.

I was simply showing how large the potential is.

There are three planed plants, that I know of, in California. These things take years to permit. Only one is near to starting. Upgrading existing plants is easier.

Pumped Storage
Pumped storage is experiencing a revival in the hydropower industry and DTA is at the forefront of this movement. The storage of potential energy is critical to the integration of intermittent energy sources, such as wind and hydro kinetic, to an electric power grid. Pumped storage is the only proven, large scale technology with the ability to efficiently store energy which can provide a means of firming these other clean and renewable energy sources, making them more practical and valuable. Pumped storage units also provide many stabilizing features to the grid in the form of ancillary services, which are becoming a market in the deregulated energy environment.

A concurrent resurgence in nuclear power, which was a driver in the original development of pumped storage, anticipates the need for new pumped storage facilities to balance the load of these large capacity units.

Owners of existing pumped storage facilities are reevaluating their assets and, in many cases, rehabilitating and upgrading them. Advances in technology are providing significant opportunities to make pumped storage units even more flexible in their operating ranges, which again results in higher value to owners of these facilities.

DTA remains a leader in the pumped storage market.

Project Examples
http://www.devinetarbell.com/hydropower/pumped_storage.htm

[DCKit]

3. Guess that kind of destroys the argument against solar...

and having no method of storing the energy when the sun's not shining.

However, this kind of infrastructure doesn't come cheap and there are the tectonic issues. Then again, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have all that water available (and already pressurized by it's elevation) the next time the fires roared through. Additionally, some of that water might be "lost" to evaporation and replenishing the water table. Over time, it may have some positive climate/ecological impacts.

As long as the usual suspects are kept away from the planning, contracting, construction and operations of these facilities, it'd probably work.

[The Croquist]

4. Interesting post

I didn't think about tectonic issues but I should have. There have been a few occurrences in the past.

I agree completely regarding cost but I like the idea of the water available for emergencies.

We could save some land by putting the windmills and / or solar panels above the lake where practical. It might ruin the view but unlike off shore sites the current residents didn't previously have an ocean view anyway.

Regardless you will greatly alter the local environment. I don't agree that a lake instead of a stream is necessarily a degradation of the environment but many others would (as would the local plants and animals).

[Fledermaus]

10. Pumped storage typically does not interrupt streams.

Thats why the potential is so great when compared to traditional hydro.

Alta Mesa Pumped Storage

The Pumped Storage project is a 70 megawatt energy storage facility to be constructed in the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs, California. The project will store electric power by pumping water uphill. Later, when power demand peaks, the stored water flows downhill to produce power. The Pumped Storage facility will provide the ability to store power produced by nearby wind power projects to allow for "firm" power sales from an intermittent resource.

Major project facilities will consist of an upper reservoir atop the Alta Mesa, a lower reservoir near the valley floor, a powerhouse with a reversible pump/turbine, and a pipeline connecting the reservoirs with the powerhouse. No natural watercourses will be used by the project; it will be a closed-loop, constructed system. The facility will be able to store 420 megawatt-hours (about the daily consumption of 17,500 homes) and produce its full 70 megawatt rated output for 6 continuous hours.

Other features of the project include:

Will produce 130,000 MWh per year of high-value on-peak power, and consume 175,000 MWh per year of low-value off-peak power.
Cycle efficiency of 74%.
1250 feet vertical separation between upper and lower reservoirs.
6,300 feet of penstock length.
Approx. 96 inch penstock diameter.
113 million gallons of water storage.
Interconnect with Southern California Edison (and then to the California Independent System Operator grid).
Environmental review and permitting underway.
Project site owned by TenderLand Power Company affiliate.

http://www.tenderland.com/am_ps.htm

An additional reservoir is usually added, at a higher elevation, to an existing lake, natural or man made.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Pumped_Storage_Generating_Station

Nuclear power was the main driver behind earlier original pumped storage projects.

[kristopher]

5. That article is from 1979 isn't it?

The field mouse doesn't understand the difference between physical potential and potential that is available after economic, land use and environmental constraints are factored in.

Added on edit:
The current understanding is that taking the above constraints into account, hydro (pumped or otherwise) has very little potential for further development.

[ElectricGrid]

6. Links are bad for me.

[ElectricGrid]

7. I would also like to know how much

efficiency is lost during the whole process. So say 1000MW of solar ele is used to pump the water into storage. How many MW out do I get for that? IF I had to guess I would say 50% or less. So maybe I would get 500MW out.

[Fledermaus]

8. I'm not sure what happened to the links here they are again

Title Hydroelectric power in California
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6620659

State Electricity Profiles 2006 Edition
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/e_profiles_sum.html

Pumped Hydro Storage has an efficiency range from 70% to 85%.
70% to 85% of the electrical energy used to pump the water into the elevated reservoir can be regained.

[kristopher]

9. Did you pull up the Greenblat piece on CAES?

You are right about the high efficiency of pumped hydro. Another slice of the pie that has about the same potential as pumped hydro is CAES. Both exploit geographic features for cost effectiveness and are therefore limited. Both offer great dispatchable power for load leveling.

[NNadir]

12. I covered this idea in some detail here a few years back, discussing the Salton Sea.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x37366">I offer a crazy energy idea about which I've fantasized: The Salton Sea.

Right now having water in California to do anything of this nature is well, difficult. They hardly have enough water to flush toilets.

[Fledermaus]

13. I think its a very good idea.

I have read some similar ideas with other depressions.

Right now, this is the only sea water pumped storage that I know of.

Specifications of Okinawa Seawater Pumped Storage Power Plant Operator -
Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER)

Power Plant Name - Okinawa Seawater Pumped Storage Power Plant
Location - Okinawa Prefecture
Output - 30 MW
Effective Head - 136 m
Maximum Turbine Discharge - 26 m3/sec.
Commencement of Operation - 1999
Reservoir Type - Embankment dam, Rubber sheet lining
Gross Storage Capacity - 0.59X106 m3

http://www.ieahydro.org/01-Okinawa-Seawater-PSPP-lg.htm

[kestrel91316]

14. "Appellation mountains". It took me a minute to figure this out.

You probably mean "Appalachian Mountains"...........the ch is "harder" than the ti/sh sound, which is soft.

I totally understand why foreigners hate learning English, lol. We have more exceptions than rules, in both grammar and spelling/pronunciation.