The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a preliminary permit for a feasibility study of the proposed Red Lake Pumped Storage Project northeast of Kingman.
Gravity Storage LLC has proposed a 3,000 MW closed loop storage plant on the Red Lake dry lakebed on a federal site managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The project would generate power by releasing water over turbines situated between two reservoirs at different elevations. Water would then be pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper to be reused in the process.
The preliminary permit allows Gravity Storage to conduct engineering feasibility studies and to study the water supply, economics, and environmental, cultural and tribal impacts of the proposal with respect to groundwater withdrawals and the surface levels of lakes Mead and Mohave. Concerns include the impacts of filling the reservoirs and of evaporative water loss.
If the project is found to be feasible, Gravity Storage will be able to use the data in preparing its license application to proceed with the development. As planned, the Red Lake project includes a 500-kV substation and a six-mile, 500-kV transmission line to connect to an existing transmission line from Western Area Power Administration that connects to the Mead and Westwing substations. The estimated annual output for the planned project is 13,140 gigawatt hours.
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors has come out in opposition to the development, citing concerns about the potential impact on the Hualapai aquifer. State Rep. John Gillette, the Arizona legislative representative for the area, has also stated his opposition. The U.S. Department of the Interior has said the project does not conform with the BLM resource management plan for Kingman and noted worries about possible impacts on area wildlife.
Gravity Storage has said it is considering installing floating solar panels on the two reservoirs to reduce evaporation, as well as other aquifer impact reduction measures.
The preliminary permit order went into effect Oct. 1 and is valid for either 48 months or until a development application is accepted, whichever comes first.
Comments in support or opposition are not considered during the project feasibility study permit stage, according to the FERC order, but will be considered when and if there is an application for a hydropower license. (Source)
