In two recent letters to the editor (Leader-Herald, Aug 27, and Sept 14, page 6A) I discussed why building utility-scale solar electric plants is not a bright idea for the ratepayers.
But let’s assume that the state government, the green lobby and the too-large number of ignorant voters get their way and push through their socialist and very costly (where does all of this money come from?) so-called green power agenda. Pumped-storage will be necessary and inevitable.
“So here are four Blenheim-Gilboa-sized potential sites, three of which have never been publicly disclosed until now, that could be used for pumped storage plants. Except for the Storm King project (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenic—Hudson—Preservation—Conference—v.—Federal—Power—Commission).
Here are the GPS coordinates for the other three:
1. West Mountain: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.281279,-73.7408301,15.32z/data=!5m1!1e4.
2. South Bay, Lake Champlain: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5356223,-73.4942604,15.58z/data=!5m1!1e4.
3. Cold Spring Park, between Port Henry and Crown Point – https://www.google.com/maps/@43.986622,-73.4911227,14.68z/data=!5m1!1e4.
Using 2000 MWe for the shelved Storm King project and assuming 1000 MWe for each additional site gives 5000 MWe of nameplate capacity — not a bad start.
China is going full-bore with pumped-storage development. About 25,000 MWe have already been built and about 43,000 MWe are under construction (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List—of—pumped-storage—hydroelectric—power—stations).
So let’s get on with it.
CHARLES F. HEIMERDINGER
Edinburg
