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From: wjhe@hlexa.UUCP (Bill Hery)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: re feeding power back into the grid
Message-ID: <4165@hlexa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Apr-85 18:23:34 EST
Article-I.D.: hlexa.4165
Posted: Tue Apr 16 18:23:34 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 01:59:32 EST
References: <5446@utzoo.UUCP> <69600020@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Short Hills, NJ
Lines: 19

> 
>  There is a power plant in California that was designed to minimize the
> Peak/Average variations on the power grid. It consists of two mountain
> lakes at different altitudes and a generator/pump station in between them.
> During peak hours water flows to the lower lake and helps generate power.
> This water is then pumped back up to the upper lake during the off-peak
> hours. This lets them run the rest of the plants at a constant rate which
> nuke plants tend to like.   
>

"Pumped Hydro Storage" is in use in a number of places, both in the US and around the
world.  New Yorkers might remember a major controversy over a Con Ed pumped hydro
storage proposal 10-15 years ago.  They proposed making an artificial lake atop
Strom King Mountain (about 50 miles up the Hudson River from New York, near West
Point), and pumping Hudson River water into the lake overnight, and releasing
it during the day for hydro power.  It was rejected because of the 
environmental impact of taking the top off of mountain and puting in a lake.

Bill Hery