Water-energy nexus and environmental justice conflicts in renewable energy storage in the Pacific Northwest

Keywords: water, energy, Pacific Northwest, renewables, storage, environmental justice
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 4

Abstract

Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind produce electricity intermittently, creating challenges in balancing electric power supply for grids using renewable energy. This problem is driving development of energy storage technologies including pumped hydroelectric power storage (pumped hydro). This presentation examines the rising yet under-scrutinized implications of the growth of pumped hydro storage infrastructure for water resources and environmental justice. The research focuses on a case study of the proposed Goldendale pumped hydro project in Washington State. This research will focus on the water governance questions and environmental justice conflicts involved in pumped hydro in the Pacific Northwest. We discuss the emerging water-energy governance arrangements, interactions, and challenges around processes of planning, permitting, developing, and regulating pumped hydro in the region. We also examine how pumped hydro projects in the Pacific Northwest, such as Goldendale, are generating resistance and opposition around issues of water-related environmental degradation and environmental justice. Through the case study we explore the tensions between the urgent need to decarbonize quickly, and the need to consult communities in a meaningful way.