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c:"') "'. --'--"e~ ~-,-~" Ww WI. " Unit ~~ ~J::J~~ <tIfi(JlMfl41~~- DOLORES PUMPED STORAGE UNIT Durango Projects Office P. O. BOX 640 DURANGO, CO 81301 The Dolores Pumped Storage Unit is the new name for the Dunham Point power study. The name change reflects the elimi- nation of the Dunham Point site as the preferred location for the project forebay, The forabay is the upper reservoir to which water will be pumped during periods of low energy demand when power is less expen- sive. The new forabay is the Campbell Reservoir, described in the last newsletter, and shown on the map. Its afterbay is located in adjacent Plateau Creek, a tribu- tary to McPhee Reservoir. The afterbay is the lower reservoir to which water is re- leased through power-producing turbines during periods of higher energy demand. RECENT ACTIVITIES The Durango Projects Office recently compared the Dolores Unit to other existing and proposed pumped-storage projects in the United States, Some points of compari- son are as follows: Powerplant size u The Dolores Unit powerplant size will be 500 megawatts (MW), Other projects In the United States range from 25 to 2,360 MW, A proposed project near Lake Mead in Arizona could have a powerplant size as large as 4,000 MW, Per/od of operet/on -- Up to 14 hours would be required to pump water from the afterbay to the forebay on the Dolores Unit. The estimated forebay size would accommodate enough water to generate power for up to 12 hours at a time, We envision peaking power being gener- ated for 20 weeks each year (1 0 weeks in the summer and 10 weeks in the winter). The system would operate Monday through Friday during these periods, The Northfield Mountain Project, a I,OOO-MW plant located in Massachusetts, generates power for 9% hours during each pumping and generating cycle. JUNE 11183 -~ " "'- --------- - - ~ -----=::::-~ ~ .-- ------ ~ ....- ,," '-, .,~':~ .' . Campbell -~\O.'-- J- - ~ / --- - ~.::; - . -------=-- ----= --------.~ -:c:-"- .-- - ---::: Reservoir Sites Construction Work Force SIze .. PROJECT STATUS AND SCHEDULE Reclamation estimates a need for about 650 construction workers during the peak year of construction. Other projects have required anywhere from 140 to as many as 2,922 workers during peak years, The Northfield Mountain Project required 760 peak year workers. We anticipate that most workers on the Dolores Unit will be hired by the contractor. The current administration encourages participation by non-federal entities In energy-related projects. For this reason, Reclamation has sought a non.federal participant to fund or take over the remain- der of the study, The Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority has passed a resolution to enter into negotiations to fund Reclamation for the completion of the study, Once this funding is assured, Reclamation will con- tinue the investigation, and prepare an integrated Planning Report-Environmental Statement, scheduled for completion in October, 1985, Reclamation does not intend to pursue the project past the plan- ning stage, Operet/on end Me/ntenance Work Force Size-- The Northfield Plant is a fully manned powerplant, employing 59 persons. These personnel also operate two smaller hydro- electric stations in conjunction with the Northfield plant. The Dolores Unit could be remotely operated from a central power dispatching headquarters, If so, oniy 2 or 3 full-time personnel would be needed for daily operation and maintenance tasks. Atthat point, it will bethe decision ofthe Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority whether to con- structthe unit.