New Pumped Storage Hydropwer Project Proposed for New Mexico

The article discusses a newly proposed pumped storage hydropower project in New Mexico, aligned with the US federal government's support for expanding hydropower under the American Energy Dominance plan. Pumped storage hydropower, which currently accounts for 96% of grid-scale, long-duration energy storage in the US, operates by pumping water to a higher reservoir during periods of excess power and releasing it to generate electricity when demand rises. This technology is gaining renewed interest as it complements the increasing penetration of low-cost wind and solar energy by absorbing surplus generation and providing grid services such as frequency regulation. The proposed Carrizo Pumped Storage Hydropower Center Project, planned on Navajo Nation land near the Four Corners region, aims to deliver 1.5 gigawatts of capacity with an exceptional 70 hours of storage duration—far exceeding the typical 4-hour storage of lithium-ion batteries. This extended storage capability is crucial for addressing seasonal mismatches between renewable energy production and load, which shorter-duration battery