Lake Elsinore Pumped Storage

"Fed by powerful waterways like the Colorado and Columbia rivers, electricity from hydropower helps several western states enjoy some of the lowest electricity prices in the country as well as cleaner air." See more stats here:

Black Start (Restoration) Service: The capability to start up in the absence of support from the transmission grid is another benefit to hydropower. This capability is of value to restart sections of the grid after a blackout and can be provided by hydropower to supply power to the region. https://www.hydro.org/waterpower/hydropower/

"Hydropower accounts for more than 22 percent of all the electricity generation in these 13 western states. In states like Washington, Oregon and Idaho, hydropower accounted for more than half of each state’s electricity generation in 2013. Fed by powerful waterways like the Colorado and Columbia rivers, electricity from hydropower helps several western states enjoy some of the lowest electricity prices in the country as well as cleaner air." https://1l.ink/M7DX3ZP

What is Pumped Storage? Pumped storage is a tried and true renewable technology that has been in use since the 1920’s and remains the most efficient form of large-scale hydroelectric storage, with a lifespan over 100 years. This technology bridges the gap between energy production and energy consumption for every-day users and utilizes a greater amount of electricity generated through other renewable energy resources. It features a two-way system that stores potential energy in the form of water in an upper reservoir, pumped from a lower reservoir. During peak consumption, stored potential energy is released from the upper reservoir, flowing downhill through a turbine to generate electricity. During off-peak usage, lower-cost electricity from the grid is used to reverse the turbines and pump the water back uphill.

Why was the proposed site selected? Lake Elsinore and its adjacent mountain range provide the unique geographical topography required to construct a pumped storage facility. The sharp difference in elevation between two neighboring reservoirs allows the gravitational force to power turbine generators when water is transferred from the upper to the lower reservoir. Lake Elsinore will act as the lower reservoir while a proposed Decker Canyon will act as the upper reservoir. The topography required for pumped storage is rare, which is one of the primary limiting factors of constructing more pumped storage plants worldwide.

Many hydropower plants built 50 to 100 years ago are still in operation. Hydropower is the most proven, efficient, flexible and reliable source of electricity based on more than a hundred years of experience. Upgrades and maintenance can extend lifetime of plants which helps to contribute to the low cost of electricity from hydropower.