Pumped Water Storage for Elec (coal mines?)

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by wjtracy, Mar 16, 2017.

  1. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,358
    3,606
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Interesting article below about pumped water storage. Probably EV advocates don't know that Virginia has the worlds largest battery, well sort of: we have the biggest pump water facility. The orig intent I think was to store nuke and coal nighttime elec loads from WV (coal) and VA (nukes).

    Apparently California converted an old mine to pumped water storage, and now that's a hot topic here as we've passed a resolution to pursue that in Virginia.

    In Virginia push for pumped hydro storage, questions arise about viability | Southeast Energy News
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    111,637
    50,841
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    interesting idea, the existing one is pretty cool, i wonder how the economics shake out.
     
  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,358
    3,606
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes worth a day trip to go out there and see it someday...pretty much in the mountains off I-81 looks hard to get to.
    More popular is the Smith Mountain Lake dam and that we have been to and I have my own photos like the one in the article.

    Virginia only has 2 natural lakes, one being the Great Dismal Swamp. So every other lake is man-made.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    111,637
    50,841
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i've been to hoover, but it's an easy trip from vegas. they are man made wonders.