Upon completion, the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage project will be among the first pumped storage hydropower facilities constructed in the United States in more than 30 years and the first sited on former coal mine land.
Lewis Ridge will provide up to 287 MW of capacity and eight hours of storage, capable of powering approximately 67,000 homes. The facility utilizes two man-made reservoirs, thereby minimizing impact to waterways and wildlife. When energy demand is low, electricity is used to pump water to the upper reservoir. When the grid requires energy at times of peak demand or extreme weather events, water flows downhill to generate electricity.
Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage LLC is a subsidiary of Rye Development Acquisition LLC, which is a partnership of Climate Adaptive Infrastructure and EDF Inc.
“We are pleased to partner with the Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the local community to repurpose former coal mine land into a critical new energy storage facility, utilizing long-proven technology. We have identified additional coal mine sites in the US that are suitable for pumped storage hydropower, where insights gained from the Lewis Ridge facility can support future projects,” said Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development Acquisition LLC.
