ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Intermountain Pumped Storage Project would be located 5 miles northeast of Delta, and 7 miles west of Oak City, Utah in the Millard County. The project concept envisions the construction of a pumped storage power plant facility with capacity ranging from 1,200 MW to 2,000 MW. The project proposes to use a new DMAD 2 reservoir as a lower pool and a new reservoir in the Canyon Mountains Range to serve as the upper pool. The proposed Intermountain Pumped Storage Project would operate in a closed loop.

The new DMAD 2 reservoir would store enough water for project operation and allow for additional water storage to be used for irrigation and water conveyance. Alternatives for an upper reservoir to operate the Intermountain Pumped Storage Power Plant would require the construction of a new embankment to create a new reservoir in the Canyon Mountains east of the new DMAD 2 Reservoir. The new upper reservoir alternatives are listed below:

• Upper Reservoir Alternative 1: A new Dry Fork Reservoir at 6,200 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 2: A new Mill Canyon Reservoir at 6,600 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 3: A new Williams Reservoir at 7,140 ft el.

The project proposes interconnection with the existing Intermountain AC Switchyard. The Intermountain Pumped Storage Power Plant would interconnect to the Intermountain AC Switchyard using two new 345 kV transmission lines. In order to deliver the generated power to the regional electrical utility network, the following transmission paths will be available:

• Transmission Path 1 (California Path 27) which transmits power to Adelanto, CA through the existing 500 kV DC transmission line.
• Transmission Path 2 (Utah Path 28) which transmits power to Mona through the existing 345 kV transmission lines to the east.
• Transmission Path 3 (Nevada Path 29) which transmits power to Ely, NV through the existing Gonder IPP 230 kV transmission line.

The Intermountain Pumped Storage Project is expected to be most attractive to the Intermountain Power Agency, due to the proposed use of their existing resources in the area. Additionally, other electrical utilities in California and Nevada are expected to be interested in the project as a resource for storing and maximizing renewable energy use.

The proposed Haiwee Pumped Storage Project would be located 10 miles south of Olancha, California in the Inyo County. The project concept envisions the construction of a pumped storage power facility with capacity ranging from 1,600 MW to 2,000 MW. The project proposes a new North Haiwee Reservoir 2 located upstream North Haiwee Reservoir to serve as a lower pool. Alternatives for an upper pool to operate the Haiwee Pumped Storage Power Plant require the construction of a new embankment to create a new reservoir to the west or east of the proposed North Haiwee Reservoir 2. The new upper reservoir alternatives are listed below.

• Upper Reservoir Alternative 1: A new McCloud Reservoir at 5,260 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 2: A new Little Cactus Reservoir at 4,980 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 3: A new Haiwee Canyon Reservoir at 6,160 ft el.

The proposed North Haiwee Reservoir 2 would improve the seismic reliability of the existing North Haiwee Reservoir. Seismic studies have found the existing North Haiwee Reservoir could potentially fail during a maximum credible earthquake. In that event, the dam’s crest could settle and cause the release of a large volume of water. This event could threaten public safety due to the potentially hazardous flooding. The new dam would act as a backup dam to ensure safety of the populations and improve reliability of the existing North Haiwee Reservoir for water conveyance.

The proposed North Haiwee Reservoir 2 will require the following construction activities:

• Earthworks and grading to obtain the proposed reservoir floor.
• Realignment of a section of the existing Cactus Flats Road and the existing North Haiwee Road.
• Realignment of the existing LA Aqueduct reaching the existing North Haiwee Reservoir.
• Construction of a diversion structure and connecting channel or pipeline to the proposed North Haiwee Reservoir 2.

The proposed power plant would operate as a closed loop hydro-power pumped storage plant. The project’s operation would not alter the existing streams and it will not alter operation of the existing Haiwee Reservoirs. The filling of the reservoirs would be carried out by using the water conveyed through the existing LA Aqueduct. Moreover, the connecting pipeline could be used to regulate the LAA’s water temperature by using the proposed North Haiwee Reservoir 2. Regulating the water temperature will help prevent ruptures in the Aqueduct pipelines due to the temperature variations.

Due to the existing LA Aqueduct and the site land being owned and operated by Los Angeles Department Water and Power (LADWP), the project would be most attractive to LADWP due to their footprint and existing resources in the area. The development of this proposed project would be done under LADWP’s supervision. The generated power would be transmitted through 500 kV transmission lines. The project’s transmission lines would interconnect with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) or Southern California Edison’s (SCE) transmission system. Additionally, other electrical utilities are expected to be interested in the project as a resource for storing renewable energy.

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The proposed Pyramid Lake Pumped Storage Project would be located 40 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada in the Washoe County. Pyramid Lake is bounded by the Lake Range on the east and the Virginia Mountains on the west. It is the discharge point of the Truckee River, which is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe.

The Pyramid Lake Pumped Storage Project envisions the construction of a pumped storage power plant facility with capacity of 2,000 MW. The project proposes to use the existing Pyramid Lake as a lower pool and a new reservoir in the Lake Range to serve as the upper pool. A hydraulic head of up to 2,900 ft would exist between the new upper reservoir and the Pyramid Lake, which would be exploited for hydro power generation.

Alternatives for an upper reservoir to operate the Pyramid Lake Pumped Storage Power Plant would require the construction of a new embankment to create a new reservoir in the Lake Range east of the existing reservoir. The new upper reservoir alternatives are listed below:

• Upper Reservoir Alternative 1: A new San Emidio Reservoir at 6,700 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 2: A new Tohakum Peak Reservoir at 5,960 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 3: A new Lake Range Reservoir at 6,180 ft el.

The proposed Pyramid Lake Pumped Storage Project is expected to have a nominal capacity of 2,000 MW. The interconnection voltage would be 500 kV. The project would interconnect with the existing PDCI and transmit the power to Los Angeles, California. The interconnection of the Pyramid Lake Switchyard to the PDCI will require a new Pyramid converter station. From there, the power would be transmitted to Sylmar Converter Station in the Los Angeles area.

In order to store renewable energy and maximize pumped storage operation, the project proposes a new solar PV farm in the northern or southern shore of the Pyramid Lake. The proposed solar farm would use 14,000 acres of land for the installation of solar panels. The solar farms would generate 2,000 MW of solar PV energy. This energy would be produced and stored during low-demand hours. The Pyramid Lake Pumped Storage Project would then be able to generate 2,000 MW of carbon free electricity when demand is high. Additionally, the project could tentatively interconnect to the existing Windhub Substation for storing wind energy. Other electrical utilities in California and Nevada are also expected to be interested in the project.

BENEFITS

• Provide 2,000 MW of clean energy to California’s electrical grid.
• Help meet California’s goal to reach 100% renewable energy by 2045.
• Reduce CO2 emissions and the use of fossil fuel energy sources.
• Load balancing for intermittent renewable energy sources.
• Environmentally friendly alternative for BESS.

The proposed Walker Lake Pumped Storage Project would be located around 15 miles northwest of Hawthorne city, and 15 miles south of Schurz city, in the Mineral County, NV. The project concept envisions the construction of a pumped storage power plant facility with capacity of 2,000 MW. The project proposes to use the existing Walker Lake as a lower pool and a new reservoir in the Wassuk Range to serve as the upper pool. The proposed Pumped Storage Project would operate in a closed loop.

Alternatives for an upper reservoir to operate the Walker Lake Pumped Storage Power Plant would require the construction of a new embankment in the Wassuk Range west of the existing Walker Lake. The new upper reservoir alternatives are listed below:

• Upper Reservoir Alternative 1: A new Bald Mountain Reservoir at 6,500 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 2: A new Copper Canyon Reservoir at 5,740 ft el.
• Upper Reservoir Alternative 3: A new Dry Creek Reservoir at 6,560 ft el.

The proposed Walker Lake Pumped Storage Project is expected to have a nominal capacity of 2,000 MW. The interconnection voltage would be 500 kV. The project would interconnect with the existing PDCI using a new 500 kV transmission corridor. The interconnection between the Walker Lake Pumped Storage Project to the PDCI will require a new Walker converter station. From there, the power would be transmitted south to the Sylmar Converter Station in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, other electrical utilities in California and Nevada are expected to be interested in the project as a resource for storing and maximizing renewable energy use.