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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />1.4 Pumped Storage Description <br /> <br />Pumped storage hydropower is one of several methods of generating peaking power. <br />Other methods include the use of other energy storage technologies in various stages <br />of commercial development, combustion turbines, and conventional hydropower. <br />Pumped storage projects use relatively low-cost thermal, base load off-peak power to <br />pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. During peak electric demand <br />periods, when energy costs are highest, the water flows through turbines as it is <br />released to the lower reservoir, generating power. Because of losses in the system, it <br />takes about 1.4 times as much energy to pump water to the upper reservoir than is <br />generated when the flow is reversed. The inherent benefits of pumped storage <br />hydropower, however, include conservation of higher-cost gas and oil, integration of <br />hydro and thermal resources, improved generating unit efficiencies, substitution for <br />some spinning reserve requirements, provision of emergency power, and potential <br />overall savings in electric costs. <br /> <br />Colorado's mountainous terrain and deep river valleys provide a number of potential <br />sites for combining pumped storage hydroelectric development with conventional <br />water storage. Figure 1-1 provides a graphic view of a typical pumped storage project. <br /> <br />Figure 1-1 <br /> <br /> <br />PUMPED-STORAGE PROJECT <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />..-..~--....... . <br /> <br />." .--..-......--...... <br /> <br />~._-...., ..... <br /> <br />'. ...,.~' - .. <br /> <br />lower Reservoir <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />motl:' r/Generator <br /> <br />1-5 <br />