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_1 <br />8.0 POTENTIAL FINANCIAL ENHANCEMENT <br />I8.1 INTRODUCTION <br />1 In addition to defining and evaluating potential water resource <br />� development plans to serve in-basin needs, this study also identified and <br />� evaluated potential projects which, when combined with the preferred in-basin <br />development plan, may result in a more comprehensive project with enhanced <br />financial attractiveness. Specifically, two options were studied: pumped- <br />{ storage hydroelectric generating facilities, and sale of water out of the <br />basin. These options may require participation from electrical power entities <br />I or east slope water suppliers. This study has not speculated on the specific <br />� institutional relationships that might be involved. If these entities pursue <br />I a cooperative approach to project development, further study would be required <br />to arrive at an equitable sharing of project costs and benefits. <br />) 8.2 PUMPED STORAGE HYDROELECTRIC DOWER 6ENERATION <br />� Pumped-storage electric generating plants are a special type of <br />hydroelectric plant designed specifically to generate peaking capacity. Such <br />developments involve pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper <br />reservoir with low cost off-peak power and later releasing the water from the <br />I upper reservoir back to the lower reservoir during peak power demand periods <br />� to generate high value peaking power. Most pumped-storage projects <br />� recirculate the same water and after initial reservoir ,filling, only require <br />additions to the water supply to make up for evaporation and seepage losses. <br />IA review of existing reports and a preliminary evaluation of the basin <br />topography resulted in the identification of 30 potential pumped-storage sites <br />Iin the study area. These sites were screened on the basis of the ratio of <br />water conductor length to gross head, which is an indicator of a potential <br />1 project's economic attractiveness. Two projects: the 720 MW Needle Point No. <br />3 and 1000 MW Rocky Point No. 2, were selected as potentially attractive sites <br />8-1 <br />