Pumped Storage Hydro

Developer files with FERC for 1 GW pumped hydro energy storage project

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Developer files with FERC for 1 GW pumped hydro energy storage project

A company affiliated with a Utah-based real estate developer filed paperwork with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build what could be a $2 billion, 1 GW closed loop pumped hydro energy storage facility in Nevada.

The company, rPlus Hydro LLLP, submitted a Draft License Application for its White Pine Pumped Storage Project located near Ely, Nevada. The application followed what the company said was several years of project development including engineering and planning, environmental assessment, and community engagement.

The Draft License Application includes an overview of the proposed project’s configuration, baseline studies and data, estimated costs, proposed construction schedules, preliminary environmental analysis, as well as proposed engineering schematics and project maps. Submission starts a 90-day FERC review process that is expected to refine the proposal. A subsequent Final License Application is expected to include additional baseline data, impact analyses, and public comment.

In a statement, rPlus Hydro said it focuses on developing, designing, designing, and building commercial large-scale pumped storage hydroelectric projects in the United States. It is a subsidiary of rPlus Energies which, in turn, is a unit of The Gardner Company, a real estate developer and management company.

Founded in 2018, rPlus Energies is currently developing around 120 MW of solar energy capacity for Rocky Mountain Power, which plans to sell the output to as Facebook data center in Eagle Mountain, Utah. That project is slated to enter service at the end of 2023.

Altogether, rPlus Energies said it has a portfolio of some 30 projects across the U.S. representing more than 10 GW of new renewable energy capacity.