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NT-Hydro
The Project Pumped Storage Hydroelectric plants are not a new concept, but they are usually built in concert with a dam, a high spot and plenty of water. In essence they use a dam’s excess generating power at night (less grid demand) to pump water uphill to a holding area and then during the day when power demands (and prices) are at peak the water is run back down the hill to generate electricity. This is of course a net energy loss (negative 6.9 billion Kwh in 2006/Energy Information Administration) but cheaper than building another dam.

NT-Hydro's Project Description "The proposed Summer Lake Pumped Storage (SLPS) Project will consist of an excavated upper reservoir and Summer Lake, which is an existing alkali lake. The upper reservoir is on Forest Service ground and the powerhouse is on private ground. The upper reservoir to be excavated on White Ridge is located at an elevation of approximately 6890 ft above sea level (ASL). Summer Lake, which receives water from various springs and intermittent runoff streams, is located at elevation 4145 t% ASL. Currently, water entering Summer Lake remains in Summer Lake until it evaporates, i.e. Summer Lake occurs within a closed topographic basin with no outlets. The upper Reservoir and Summer Lake will be connected by an 11,000 ft pipeline consisting of two 96-in diameter pipes with a hydraulic capacity of approximately 1000 cfs each. The proposed project will interconnect with an existing 500 KV, AC transmission line located 12 miles north of Summer Lake This transmission line will link the SLPS project with the both the California-Nevada and Pacific Northwest power grids. The power generation analysis for the proposed project assumes an average net hydraulic head of 2600 feet, maximum hydraulic capacity of 2000 cfs (2 turbines @ 1000 cfs), and maximum generation of 364 MW (2 turbines @ 182 MW). The SLPS power project will produce 1328 GWH's of electricity per year if the plant is assumed to generate at full capacity for 10 hours per day." ~ Taken from the Preliminary Permit Application to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
The Problem NT-Hydro's whole plan is based on the assumption that there is more water in Summer Lake than there actually is. (In fact, there is frequently no water in this shallow seasonal, alkali lake, but what the heck.) Their proposal states that Summer Lake‘s capacity is 320,000 acre/ft of water. This is based on lake capacity at the meander line. Actual average lake capacity as measured in 1971 and 1998 is 25,000 acre/ft and 28,000 acre/ft respectively making NT Hydro’s estimates off by 295,000 acre/ft. (USGS survey of Goose Lake,Abert Lake and Summer Lake,1971 and Oregon department of Fish and Wildlife hydrological data,1998). In their required 6 month update NT Hydro now states that they are studying the hydrology of Summer Lake and that they are looking for alternatives to using the saline water of the lake. Sounds good until you realize that the only other source of water would be groundwater, 652 million gallons of it in fact. Summer Lake (and the people living here) exist because of artesian springs in the head of the valley. Currently there is a moratorium on commercial well digging in the area due to a marked decrease in water pressure of these vital artesian springs. It is not unthinkable that lowering the water table in the valley by over pumping will reduce the artesian flow to the point that the lake ceases to exist. Lake County is blessed with an abundance of geothermal, solar and wind energy. We are willing to entertain any well thought out energy production schemes, but please leave the little water we have alone. “Whiskey’s for drinking and water’s for fighting” - Mark Twain For more on NT-Hydro click here

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