cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/24611584
For those wondering about the energy, not just the power:
When fully charged, the upper reservoir can store enough energy to power the plant at full capacity for 10.8 hours, equivalent to nearly 40 GWh.
Meanwhile the US only increased capacity in pumped hydroelectric by 2.1 Gw between 2010-2022 for a whopping 22 Gw total capacity. Hydroelectric generally hovers about 28% of total renewable energy electricity generation.
The biggest problem (in the US) has been a lack of investment in new pumped hydroelectric projects not connected to improving existing dam infrastructure. Permitting huge new projects is unattractive but smaller ones in geographically/geologically favorable places like with most of the new sites being planned in California and Arizona will grow in the next 10 years.
