Watch the history of pumped storage hydropower in the United States

Date Published: April 22, 2024

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Pumped storage plants for hydroelectric power in the United States were built primarily between 1960 and 1990; nearly half of the pumped storage capacity still in operation was built in the 1970s.¹ No new pumped storage projects have come online in the United States since 2012. However, three new projects have been proposed, one in Utah and two in California, with a combined capacity of 2.6 GW. These projects would be a significant addition to the 22 GW of current pumped storage capacity. The largest operating facility is the Bath County Pumped Storage Station in Virginia where six turbines combine for 2.9 GW of generating capacity.

1 U.S. Energy Information Administration,” Most pumped storage electricity generators in the U.S. were built in the 1970s,” October 31, 2019, https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41833

Electricity, Energy Storage, History, Hydropower, Power Plants, Renewable Energy

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