Helms Pumped Storage Plant
| Helms Pumped Storage Plant | |
|---|---|
Francis pump turbines | |
| Installed capacity | 1,212 MW |
The Helms Pumped Storage Plant is located 50 mi (80 km) east of
Design and operation
The power plant operates by moving water between an upper and lower reservoir. When energy demand is high, water is released from the upper reservoir to the generating plant and the water is discharged into the lower reservoir. When demand is low (such as at night), water is pumped into the upper reservoir to be used as stored energy at a later time. This is accomplished by pump-generators which serve a dual role: the pumps can reverse for use as generators. The plant can go from a stand still to operational in eight minutes which allows it to meet peak energy demand. It consumes more electricity pumping than generating electricity but pumping occurs during periods of low demand with unused surplus energy available at lower costs from the electric grid.[2][3][4]
The upper reservoir,
The Helms Pumped Storage project was designed to be used with the
See also
References
- ^ The Dam Truth About Reservoirs "There are 2 broad categories of reservoirs, the valley reservoir [or on-river storage,] and the off-river storage reservoir"
- ^ a b "By the Numbers: Helms Pumped Storage Facility". Pacific Gas and Electric Company. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- ^ .
- ^ a b Yeung, Manho (17 October 2008). "Helms Pumped Storage Plant" (PDF). Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- ^ "Diablo Canyon's odd cousin in the mountains", October 12, 2015, San Luis Obispo Tribune
External links
- Helms: Power from Water, Human Engineering - PG&E video on the plant's operation