The long-awaited Goldendale pumped storage project got a big boost Thursday, January 22, as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, known as FERC, approved a 40-year license for the facility.
This is a landmark moment for the Pacific Northwest,” said Erik Steimle of Rye Development.
Steimle and Rye Development have been working on the project for seven years, but the idea first surfaced in Klickitat County half a century ago in the 1970s.
Pumped storage facilities are nothing new. They have been around for 100 years, mostly overseas, and there are 43 of them in the United States across 18 states. They are not as familiar, because the closest one is in southern California, and a new facility hasn’t been licensed in 30 years.
The concept of this “water battery” is simple. Two ponds, one high above the other, are connected through an underground passage between them. At time of excess energy production from wind and solar – which would be otherwise wasted, with no place to put it – this excess is used to pump water from the lower lake to the upper lake. Then when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, the water in the upper lake can be sent through generators in the underground connection on its way down to the lower lake.
The installation’s 1.2 gigawatt production can deliver up to 12 hours of enough power — enough to run the city Of Seattle.
The site of the old Goldendale Aluminum plant has been described as one of the best possible pumped storage locations in the United States. The bluff above is 2100 feet above the base, offering a tremendous amount pressure and volume for generation. Construction will involve creating both lakes, and cleaning up some of the brownfield property left by the aluminum company to create the lower lake.
Each lake is planned for 60 acres. They will be filled at the beginning from the Columbia, using some of the water right from the aluminum plant, which Klickitat PUD had secured years ago for this possibility. Once that’s done, the system will be a closed loop, only adding water occasionally to replace any lost to evaporation.
There is a great deal of preparatory work to be done before construction is expected to start in 2027. It’s predicted to offer construction employment to approximately 3,000 workers for up to five years.
Once completed, the project is expected to generate more than $10 million annually for Klickitat County, supporting schools, public health, roads, emergency services and other essential needs.
At the meeting in Washington, DC, several FERC commissioners praised the Goldendale pumped storage project.
“Pumped storage hydropower is a uniquely valuable reliability resource,” said Commissioner Lindsay See. “It’s able to store energy and respond quickly and sustain output for long durations when the grid needs it most.”
And Laura Swett, FERC Chair, praised the project. “Goldendale is designed to generate up to 3 and a half million megawatt hours a year,” she said. “Thank you to Goldendale for rising to the occasion.”