ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Daybreak Power Inc., a developer of gigawatt-scale energy storage projects, announced today that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a preliminary permit for its proposed 2,650 megawatt Halverson Canyon Pumped Storage project near Creston, Wash., about 35 miles upstream from Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River.
FERC’s decision June 28 marks an important early milestone for this estimated $4.9 billion project, which would connect to the nearby Pacific Northwest transmission system and ensure reliable, around-the-clock delivery of wind and solar power from Montana and throughout the Northwest.
The Halverson Canyon project is a pumped storage hydropower facility that would use water from Lake Roosevelt and a new reservoir in an upland area above the lake to create a gigantic battery. The facility would use cheap, abundant renewable energy to pump water to the upper reservoir, then release it through turbines and back to the lake to generate 10 hours or more of renewable energy on-demand each day.
The Halverson Canyon project would not dam any rivers, inundate sacred places or deplete water resources. It was sited to minimize impacts on endangered species, steer clear of culturally significant sites and minimize adverse impacts on recreation.
In June, the Bureau of Reclamation selected the Halverson Canyon project through a competitive process to receive a preliminary Lease of Power Privilege. Reclamation has determined the project offers the most cost-effective alternative for pumped storage at Lake Roosevelt.
Daybreak Power is committed to working with area landowners, the recreation industry, conservation groups and the nearby Colville, Spokane and other Tribes to wisely develop this storage project that will open a path to building a 100 percent carbon-free economy once and for all.
“Study after study shows we’re going to need massive amounts of storage to integrate high levels of wind and solar, and we need to do it smart,” said Daybreak CEO Jim Day. “The Halverson Canyon project does that. This project marks a turning point for the Pacific Northwest to transition off fossil resources and onto carbon-free renewables at a scale never seen before.”
The Halverson Canyon facility is Daybreak’s third and largest energy storage proposal, following its proposed 1,540 MW Next Generation Pumped Storage facility near Hoover Dam and 2,210 MW Navajo Energy Storage Station near Lake Powell.
Each of these projects dwarfs any proposed storage facility using lithium-ion batteries, leveraging the economy of scale, long duration and 50+ year lifespan of pumped hydro facilities to offer a far more cost-effective storage solution. Pumped hydro is a well understood technology that has provided 95 percent of the nation’s electricity storage for decades—far longer than the lifespan of current batteries, which wear out in just a few years.
“It’s time to start building storage projects that actually work to deliver renewable energy on-demand and around-the-clock,” Day said. “Let’s make it happen!”
Daybreak Power is a developer of large-scale energy storage projects, with nearly 50,000 megawatt-hours of pumped storage hydropower capacity in its pipeline. We founded the company in 2018 to provide the cost-effective storage that will pave the way to reaching 100 percent carbon-free power by 2050. Visit us at www.daybreakpower.com to see how we are working to achieve our company motto: “Let’s Make It Happen!”
