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'''Pumped-storage hydroelectricity''' ('''PSH'''), or '''pumped hydroelectric energy storage''' ('''PHES'''), is a type of [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] [[energy storage]] used by [[electric power system]]s for [[load balancing (electrical power)|load balancing]]. The method stores energy in the form of [[gravitational potential energy]] of water, pumped from a lower elevation [[reservoir]] to a higher elevation. Low-cost surplus off-peak electric power is typically used to run the pumps. During periods of high electrical demand, the stored water is released through [[water turbine|turbine]]s to produce electric power.
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity allows energy from [[Intermittent energy source|intermittent sources]] (such as [[solar power|solar]], [[Wind power|wind]]) and other renewables, or excess electricity from continuous base-load sources (such as coal or nuclear) to be saved for periods of higher demand.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Storage for a secure Power Supply from Wind and Sun |url=http://poppware.de/Storage_for_a_secure_Power_Supply_from_Wind_and_Sun.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223053809/http://poppware.de/Storage_for_a_secure_Power_Supply_from_Wind_and_Sun.pdf |archive-date=23 February 2011 |access-date=21 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rehman |first1=Shafiqur |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271539381 |title=Pumped hydro energy storage system: A technological review |last2=Al-Hadhrami |first2=Luai |last3=Alam |first3=Md |date=30 April 2015 |journal=Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews |volume=44 |pages=586–598 |doi=10.1016/j.rser.2014.12.040 |access-date=15 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208023518/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271539381_Pumped_hydro_energy_storage_system_A_technological_review |archive-date=8 February 2022 |url-status=live |via=ResearchGate}}</ref>
The reservoirs used with pumped storage can be quite small when contrasted with the lakes of conventional hydroelectric plants of similar power capacity, and generating periods are often less than half a day. Although the losses of the pumping process make the plant a net consumer of energy overall, the system increases [[revenue]] by selling more electricity during periods of [[peak demand]], when electricity prices are highest. If the upper lake collects significant rainfall or is fed by a river then the plant may be a net energy producer in the manner of a traditional hydroelectric plant.
Pumped storage is by far the largest-capacity form of [[grid energy storage]] available, and, as of 2020, PSH accounts for around 95% of all active storage installations worldwide, with a total installed throughput capacity of over 181 [[Gigawatt|GW]] and a total installed storage capacity of over 1.6 [[TWh]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 July 2020 |title=DOE OE Global Energy Storage Database |url=https://www.sandia.gov/ess-ssl/global-energy-storage-database-home/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184735/https://www.sandia.gov/ess-ssl/global-energy-storage-database-home/ |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=12 July 2020 |website=U.S. Department of Energy Energy Storage Systems Program |publisher=[[Sandia National Laboratories]]}}</ref>
The main requirement for PSH is hilly country. The [https://re100.anu.edu.au/#share=g-e5955e35f1c7f3677ac265bcddb4c30b global greenfield pumped hydro atlas]<ref>{{Cite web |title=ANU RE100 Map |url=https://re100.anu.edu.au/#share=g-e5955e35f1c7f3677ac265bcddb4c30b |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=re100.anu.edu.au}}</ref> lists more than 600,000 potential sites around the world, which is about 100 times more than needed to support 100% renewable electricity. Most are closed-loop systems away from rivers. Areas of natural beauty and new dams on rivers can be avoided because of the very large number of potential sites. Some projects utilise existing reservoirs (dubbed "bluefield") such as the 350 Gigawatt-hour [https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/snowy-20/about/ Snowy 2.0 scheme]<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/snowy-20/about/ |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=Snowy Hydro |language=en-AU}}</ref> under construction in Australia. Some recently proposed projects propose to take advantage of [[Brownfield land|"brownfield" locations]] such as disused mines such as the [https://genexpower.com.au/250mw-kidston-pumped-storage-hydro-project/ Kidston project]<ref>{{Cite web |title=250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project |url=https://genexpower.com.au/250mw-kidston-pumped-storage-hydro-project/ |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=Genex Power |language=en-AU}}</ref> under construction in Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201202/20120208ATT37544/20120208ATT37544EN.pdf |title=European Renewable Energy Network |date=2019-07-17 |page=188|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717012026/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201202/20120208ATT37544/20120208ATT37544EN.pdf |archive-date=17 July 2019 }}</ref>
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