Pumped storage facilities rely on gravity to produce energy. The system moves water between a lower reservoir and an upper reservoir. When energy on the grid is plentiful, this excess energy is used to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. When energy is needed, water is released from the upper reservoir and used to turn hydroelectric turbines to generate on-demand electricity. The system is filled with water once, and then re-uses that water, continually repeating this process.

No. Pumped storage hydro facilities have been in use for more than a century, and are a well-established form of energy storage around the world. According to the 2023 US Hydropower Market Report, there are more than 40 pumped storage projects currently operating in the U.S.

Pumped storage facilities are the most common form of energy storage in the US, representing the vast majority of all utility scale storage, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Pumped storage is the world’s largest, most efficient utility-scale energy storage solution.

To meet increasing demand for electricity to power homes, businesses and data centers, we need reliable, cost-effective ways to store and generate energy.

• Long-lasting, with facilities operational for 100+ years.
• Affordable, costing 20-30% less than installed lithium-ion batteries.
• Low maintenance and resistant to supply chain disruptions.
• Helps stabilize the energy grid, as it can quickly ramp up or down to meet changing energy demand.

Several conditions must be in place for pumped storage facilities to be built.

• Topography: Pumped storage facilities require a specific topography that includes two reservoirs at different elevations.
• Geography: The geological formations should be stable and suitable for the construction of reservoirs, tunnels, and other infrastructure.
• Water availability: A reliable source of water is necessary to fill and maintain the two reservoirs.
• Land availability: Constructing a pumped storage facility requires land compatible with other local uses.
• Transmission lines: Projects located within proximity to transmission lines make them more feasible than alternatives.

Rye Development is completing feasibility studies for a pumped storage project called Western Navajo Pumped Storage 1, which is located near Page, Arizona, close to the site of the former Navajo Generating Station.

Rye Development is leading a new generation of pumped storage hydropower in the U.S. and helping create a more reliable energy grid. Rye develops projects from inception to operations through site identification, permitting, offtake and construction.

Rye works in partnership with utilities, policymakers, community leaders, tribal nations, and others to develop pumped storage hydropower projects in an environmentally responsible way. Visit their website to learn more about Rye Development’s pumped storage projects across the U.S.

In a closed-loop facility, water is recirculated between lower and upper reservoirs through a pipe. In comparison, open-loop pumped storage projects connect to a naturally-flowing water feature, such as a river, often causing aquatic and terrestrial impacts that closed-loop facilities avoid.

The Navajo Generating Station, along with the Kayenta Mine, offered good paying jobs and provided between $30 million and $50 million in annual revenue for the Navajo Nation.

Pumped storage facilities are large infrastructure projects that create thousands of family-wage jobs during the construction phase. These projects take 4-5 years to design and build, employing plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, heavy machinery operators, and more, while also offering apprenticeship opportunities. Dozens of long-term positions would be needed to operate the projects over the next 100+ years.

In total, these pumped storage facilities could generate millions of dollars in annual tax revenue for the Navajo Nation.

The project would:

• Store electricity for about 8 hours daily.
• Have a generating capacity of 765 megawatts
• Provide enough electricity to power 255,000 homes^*
• Preserve agricultural, municipal and commercial water uses

^*Based on average household energy consumption according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

All regional utilities are seeking additional electricity and storage capacity to keep up with increasing energy demand and safeguard the grid against blackouts and brownouts.

Rye’s proposed pumped storage project can provide significant storage capacity to help utilities meet their near and long-term generation and storage needs.