rPlus progresses permitting of 900-MW pumped storage project

Utah-based rPlus Hydro LLLP has lodged a final license application for its 900-MW Seminoe pumped storage project in Wyoming, the subsidiary of US renewables developer rPlus Energies, said on Friday.

Lodging the application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) marks the start of a thorough environmental review and licensing process with local, state and federal agencies. The submission follows the filing of a draft version of the application in June last year.

The Seminoe facility will be located near the city of Rawlins in Wyoming’s Carbon County, with its construction seen by rPlus as “crucial” to the reliability of the state’s power grid amid the greater adoption of renewables. The system, to be the first one of its kind in the state, will provide 10 hours of full-output energy storage capacity.

rPlus estimates the overall required project investment at roughly USD 2.5 billion (EUR 2.3bn). Once in operation, the hydro storage complex will bring about USD 9 million in tax revenues to state and local governments every year.

"Seminoe Pumped Storage will be an ideal match for Wyoming's excellent wind energy resource, and will support Wyoming's role as an energy leader," said Matthew Shapiro, rPlus Hydro’s CEO.

In the next few months, rPlus expects to submit a final license application for a 1-GW pumped storage project in Nevada.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.9211)

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