Sponsor
This work was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program: Award # 2215409 and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Drivers of Environmental Impacts of Energy Transitions in Underserved Communities: Award # 84055601-0. This publication was developed under Assistance Agreement No. 84055601-0 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Portland State University. It has not been formally reviewed by the EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Agency. The EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.
Published In
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-2025
Subjects
Renewable energy, Pumped storage power plants, Water rights, Indian reservations, Social justice, Environmental justice
Abstract
Pumped storage hydropower is a widely used, long-duration energy storage system that sits squarely at the water-energy nexus. Bold decarbonization goals have propelled a rapid resurgence of interest in pumped storage hydropower in the US, given its ability to provide bulk energy storage, manage grid reliability, and support increasing integration of variable renewable energy sources. Drawing on published research from both technical and social science perspectives, this paper provides an overview of pumped storage hydropower technology, the project development pipeline, potential social and environmental impacts, including a comparison of open-loop and closed-loop design configurations, and critical considerations for project development. In contrast to all existing pumped storage hydropower projects in the US that are open-loop and located on natural water bodies, this review finds that over 80% of proposed projects are closed-loop designs, due to their siting flexibility away from natural water bodies and purportedly lower social and environmental impacts. However, issues around projects, including concerns over permitting and consultation processes and conflicts over siting, water resources, and Indigenous lands, are emerging more frequently given the planned expansion of projects in the arid US West and near Tribal lands. These issues and conflicts are not necessarily lowered by closed-loop technology. The early stage of project development offers an opportunity to design projects that include community input and minimize tradeoffs. In turn, this will require taking a critical look at each pumped storage hydropower project as well as understanding community perceptions and the lifecycle impacts of this technology.
Rights
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
© 2025 The Author(s). WIREs Water published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
DOI
10.1002/wat2.70017
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43156
Citation Details
Karambelkar, S., Cantor, A., Bui, T., Turley, B., Fischer, M., & Ames, S. (2025). Pumped Storage Hydropower in the United States: Emerging Importance, Environmental and Social Impacts, and Critical Considerations. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water (WIREs) Water, 12(2), e70017. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.70017
