Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is a type of hydroelectric energy storage. It is a configuration of two water reservoirs at different elevations that can generate power as water moves down from one to the other (discharge), passing through a turbine.

Pumped-storage hydroelectricity allows energy from intermittent sources (such as solar, wind, and other renewables) or excess electricity from continuous base-load sources (such as coal or nuclear) to be saved for periods of higher demand.

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is one of the most-common and well-established types of energy storage technologies and currently accounts for 96% of all utility-scale energy storage capacity in the United States. PSH facilities store and generate electricity by moving water between two reservoirs at different elevations.

PSH functions as an energy storage technology through the pumping (charging) and generating (discharging) modes of operation. A PSH facility consists of an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir, which are connected by water conveyances (e.g., penstocks, tunnels).

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is a form of clean energy storage that is ideal for electricity grid reliability and stability. PSH complements wind and solar by storing the excess electricity they create and providing the backup for when the wind isn’t blowing, and the sun isn’t shining.

Pumped storage hydropower enables greater integration of other renewables (wind/solar) into the grid by utilizing excess generation, and being ready to produce power during low wind and solar generation periods.

Pumped storage is an essential solution for grid reliability, providing one of the few large-scale, affordable means of storing and deploying electricity. Pumped storage projects store and generate energy by moving water between two reservoirs at different elevations.

Storage hydropower plants, also called pumped storage plants, are facilities that produce electricity by storing water in an upper reservoir, then releasing it and running it through turbines at a lower level, thus generating electricity.

Dec 11, 2024 · NREL has built a versatile suite of open data and tools to help understand the future role of PSH in the electric grid. Cost and resource assessment and grid modeling can find favorable scenarios for large-scale PSH deployment.

Overview: Challenges to Develop Pumped Storage Projects are Capital Intense Licensing ($millions) Construction/Operation ($billions) Markets Limitations: Valuing services pumped storage and conventional hydropower provide (missing revenue streams) Level playing field for all energy storage technologies