PUB00037

• Year: 1988
• Title: Colorado Joint Planning Study Economic Potential of Pumped Storage
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Author: Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority
• Description: Assessment of whether pumped storage facilities are economically attractive to Colorado utilities
• Publications - Doc Type: Water Resource Studies

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addition, a number of other potential pumped storage projects have been identified
and the Authority has been requested to assist with project development. Recognizing
the need for a unified evaluation of the economic feasibility of adding pumped storage
facilities to individual power systems, the Authority approached the major electric
power entities in the state to jointly conduct the study. As a result, five major utilities
and two federal agencies are participating and it was agreed that the aggregated
results of the study would be presented in this report. Together, the seven participants
in this joint planning effort contributed about 80 percent of the study costs and assisted
the Authority in directing the study through representation on a Technical Steering
Committee (TSC) which met periodically to review work plans, identify data sources,
select methodology, and review interim results.

This effort could not have been accomplished without the technical input of the TSC
representatives. Their cooperation and ability to resolve the complex issues
associated with a highly technical topic within a very competitive industry enabled the
successful completion of this first phase of the project. The participating entities and
their TSC representatives are as follows:

Particioatina Entity

1. Centel Electric-Colorado
2. City of Colorado Springs
3. Colorado Water Resources &
Power Development Authority
4. Platte River Power Authority
5. Public Service Company of Colorado
6. Tri-State Generation and
Transmission Association
7. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
8. Western Area Power Administration

Reoresentative(s)

Frank DeBacker & Mark Even
Don Schoen & Jay Francis
Uli Kappus & Blaine Dwyer

John Allum & Bob Emmert
Gerry Stellern & Cory Anderson
Jere Bates

Mike Roluti
Gordon Freeny & Phil House

Colorado Ute Electric Association is the remaining major power producer in the state.
It is a rural electric cooperative that supplies 14 member cooperatives in Colorado,
serves approximately 190,000 customers, and has a peak demand of about 700 MW.
Colorado Ute declined to participate in the study, but, in order to provide a statewide
assessment of pumped storage, the study made use of published data for Colorado
Ute.

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