The White Pine Pumped Storage Project is a 1,000 megawatt energy storage project under development in White Pine County, Nevada. The project represents a unique energy storage and supply opportunity for Nevada and will serve as an important element of the region's modernized and reliable energy infrastructure. Community benefits from the project include the creation of hundreds of long-term construction and dozens of permanent operation jobs. The project will also provide a huge increase to tax revenues for the state and local communities.
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Project Location & Overview
The proposed project is located approximately eight miles northeast of Ely, Nevada. The 1,000 MW Project will be situated mostly on lands of the United States administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Ely District Office. The project facilities include two reservoirs, underground generation equipment, and a new transmission line. One of the reservoirs will be in the Duck Creek Range, and the other in the Steptoe Valley near Highway 93. Energy for pumping, and power generated by the project, will be delivered through a new 25-mile-long transmission line connecting the project with the Robinson Summit Substation. The remainder of the facilities will consist of access roads to the reservoirs, a transmission switch-station, and the entrance to the access tunnels.
White Pine Waterpower, LLC, has completed detailed preliminary engineering feasibility and environmental surveys to evaluate the project design and meet stringent requirements for licensing and permitting. Studies began in 2019, along with community and agency information and consultation meetings. Additional studies, discussions, and public scoping will continue in the coming years. Community members, landowners, and public agencies are encouraged to participate and learn about the project. Stakeholder feedback is essential to ensure the best siting of project facilities, avoiding sensitive or protected areas, and limiting and mitigating for identified environmental impacts.
How Does Pumped Storage Work?
Pumped hydro storage is a commercially proven, utility-scale energy storage and grid-stabilization technology. Pumped storage projects can be thought of as a large battery that uses water and gravity to store energy and generate power by moving water between reservoirs at different elevations (i.e. an upper and lower reservoir). They add tremendous value storing energy generated when electricity needs are low by pumping water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir and returning electricity to the grid when demand is peaking by releasing water from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir through a turbine to generate electricity. In addition to providing an economical supply of peaking power, the White Pine Pumped Storage project will provide other essential ancillary services to the region’s electric grid, such as frequency and voltage stabilization and system reliability. This technology is a well-established, economical, and a long lifespan form of energy storage that has been used worldwide and in the United States for decades.
The initial one-time fill requirement is about 5,000 acre-feet. Once operational, the estimated water requirement is less than 600 acre-feet per year. The amount of water this project would require over its first 50 years would represent about 3% of the rights granted to the County for economic development. Use of water for economic development (such as the White Pine project) ensures that these water rights stay with the county.
The project is in the planning and design phase and detailed facility dimensions and footprints are being determined. Details will be provided as they become available and will be documented in detailed permit applications. The above-ground land required for the long-term operation of the project is for reservoirs, access roads, parking/staging areas, and transmission line structures. The remainder of facilities will be underground and out of sight.
Protecting the natural environment and promoting economic progress for the community is a critical objective for the project. The developer is committed to developing the project responsibly, including minimizing and mitigating impacts. In addition, the project is subject to stringent permitting and licensing requirements under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as other local and state permitting and stakeholder relations. The project will be subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and numerous other federal, state and local requirements. Read more in Project Details and Regulatory section.
Project Schedule
Pumped storage projects can take over a decade to develop, design and build. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing process has progressed since the original Preliminary Permit Application was filed in 2017. White Pine Waterpower also has engaged with the BLM Ely District Office to discuss and plan for project use of BLM-administered federal lands. White Pine Waterpower anticipates that the BLM review and approval process will be coordinated with the FERC licensing process.
July 2017 – White Pine Waterpower filed an application for a Preliminary Permit to initiate the FERC licensing process for the project
October 2017 – FERC issued the Preliminary Permit
May 2020 – White Pine Waterpower researched, prepared, and filed the Pre-Application Document.
September 2020 – Ongoing consultation including community meetings and a site visit with agencies and stakeholders. Despite Covid-related restrictions, more than 20 people representing ten agencies and organizations were able to attend and participate in the meeting and site visit safely.
February 2022 – White Pine Waterpower filed and submitted the Draft License Application for agency comment and received comments from multiple agencies and stakeholders. White Pine Waterpower has responded to these comments in the Final License Application.
February 2023 – After numerous updates and revisions following community and agency feedback, White Pine Waterpower filed and submitted the Final License Application with FERC.
Construction is expected to begin as early as 2025, pending engineering and environmental approvals and the completion of the FERC licensing process. Construction would take place for 5 to 7 years.
Project Partners
