The “world’s largest batteries”: A political ecology of pumped storage hydropower (PSH)

Abstract

Renewable energies in the form of solar and wind power, geothermal energy, biomass, and hydropower are all seen as vital elements in the transition to low-carbon societies, but a range of scholars and commentators point out that renewable energy developments are increasingly being met with resistance. In the United States, a growing chorus of government officials and hydropower industry representatives have identified pumped storage hydropower (PSH) projects as a critical yet neglected component of the nation’s clean energy transition. The rationale behind pumped storage is straightforward: during times of low demand and inexpensive electricity (e.g., at night), pump water from an existing reservoir uphill into a second reservoir, where it can be stored and subsequently released to generate electricity during peak demand (e.g., days or warm seasons). Despite a fairly robust technical literature and popular media accounts of the wonders of storing renewable energy, there has been remarkably little work in political ecology and related disciplines regarding the socio-ecological dimensions of this “new wave” of PSH projects. This paper asks: How and why do social conflicts coalesce around renewable energy projects in the United States? This paper draws on concepts in political ecology, energy landscapes, and science and technology studies to understand the current surge in interest in PSH projects. Using historical analysis and semi-structured interviews with different actors engaged in various dimensions of PSH project planning, financing and implementation, we mobilize our conceptual frameworks through case studies of existing and proposed projects in Massachusetts, Montana, and California.