Another multibillion dollar pumped-storage hydropower project proposed

A $4.9 billion pumped-storage hydropower project has been given preliminary nods by regulators for a site 35 miles upstream from Grand Coulee Dam, near Creston.

Similar to the proposed Banks Lake Pumped Storage Project being developed for the Grand Coulee area, the 2,650-Megawatt Halverson Canyon Pumped Storage project got a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Developer Daybreak Power Inc. says the project "would connect to the nearby Bonneville Power Administration transmission system and ensure reliable, around-the-clock delivery of wind and solar power from Montana and throughout the Northwest," a July 13 release from the company states.

Halverson Canyon "would use water from Lake Roosevelt and a new reservoir in an upland area above the lake to create a gigantic battery," the release states. "The facility would use cheap, abundant renewable energy to pump water to the upper reservoir, then release it through turbines and back to the lake to generate 10 hours or more of renewable energy on-demand each day.

"The Halverson Canyon project would not dam any rivers, inundate sacred places or deplete water resources," the release continues. "It was sited to minimize impacts on endangered species, steer clear of culturally significant sites and minimize adverse impacts on recreation."

Daybreak Power Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder Jim Day told The Star on Tuesday that a dam would be built in the "upper reaches of Halverson Canyon" to keep the water in place, with the location determined to be a good one when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation did a survey of potential sites in 2014 for such a project.

The reservoir would be in the vicinity of a half to three-quarters of a square mile in size, Day said.

The proposal in the FERC preliminary permit describes it as a "399-foot-high, rockfill concrete-face upper reservoir with an estimated usable volume of approximately 29,000 acre-feet." 

"The new upper reservoir created by that dam would be connected to Lake Roosevelt through a series of massive water conveyance pipes that go down underground, through the pump turbine generator and back out into the lake," Day explained. 

When there is an abundance of energy, Day said, the facility would suck the water up into the reservoir, releasing it to turn the generator when demand grows, creating energy. 

The press release states that in June, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation selected the Halverson Canyon project through a competitive process to receive a preliminary Lease of Power Privilege. "Reclamation has determined the project offers the most cost-effective alternative for pumped storage at Lake Roosevelt." 

Day said he is aware of Columbia Basin Hydropower's similar Banks Lake Pumped Storage Project, which was also awarded a Lease of Power Privilege from USBR. He said that the two projects don't preclude each other.

"Study after study shows we're going to need massive amounts of storage to integrate high levels of wind and solar, and we need to do it smart," Day said. "The Halverson Canyon project does that. This project marks a turning point for the Pacific Northwest to transition off fossil resources and onto carbon-free renewables at a scale never seen before."

Daybreak Power says it is "committed to working with area landowners, the recreation industry, conservation groups and the nearby Colville, Spokane and other Tribes to wisely develop this storage project that will open a path to building a 100 percent carbon-free economy once and for all."

With an estimated 3,500 jobs during construction, he estimated there would be dozens of permanent jobs once completed. 

The company is actively looking for investors, according to its website.

With two years of studies needing to take place, and a three-year process to get a license from FERC, Day anticipates starting construction on the project in five years and having it in operation in the vicinity of 2031. 

Halverson Canyon is Daybreak's third and largest energy storage proposal, following its proposed 1,540 MW Next Generation Pumped Storage facility near Hoover Dam and 2,210 MW Navajo Energy Storage Station near Lake Powell."

"Each of these projects dwarfs any proposed storage facility using lithium-ion batteries, leveraging the economy of scale, long duration and 50+ year lifespan of pumped hydro facilities to offer a far more cost-effective storage solution. Pumped hydro is a well understood technology that has provided 95 percent of the nation's electricity storage for decades-far longer than the lifespan of current batteries, which wear out in just a few years."