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Hydropower Projects
Symbiotics Leads the Way in Alternative Energy Development
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| For more information on Symbiotics' Pumped-Storage
projects, please contact Kim Johnson |
Symbiotics Energy, LLC is leading the way in alternative energy by developing closed cycle, limited aquatic resource impact pumped storage facilities. Symbiotics searches the United States topography for suitable sites with sufficient relief (height differential between the lower and upper reservoirs) as well as transmission grid access to allow pumped storage technology to work. Then, ground water is used for the initial lower reservoir fill and for evaporation. Clean make up wind generated electricity is purchased in the surplus, off-Peak hours to pump water to the upper reservoir at night (when the wind generated electricity would otherwise have been “spilled” or wasted due to lack of demand); then this stored water is run back downhill in the daytime on-peak hours to generate scarce on-peak electricity.
 Pumped storage works like a battery that is charged at night by refilling the upper reservoir. The battery is run down in the daytime as valuable on-peak electricity is produced. The advantages of closed cycle, limited aquatic resource impact pumped storage facilities are several:
- No fossil fuel consumption lowering imports to the United States
- No CO2 or smog producing gas production--no greenhouse gas or smog impact.
- Lower installed capacity costs--pumped storage has cheaper installed capacity cost ($/kW of installed capacity) than any other peaking resource.
- Efficient use of ground water--in operation all water is recycled requiring only evaporation” make up” water (even this water is eventually returned to earth as rain).
- Highest energy efficiency of all known peaking electricity resources.
- Fish friendly technology compared to existing “peaking” hydrogeneration facilities.
- Significant-sized projects (compared to smaller alternative energy technologies.)
- Contribution of jobs and taxes to local economies.
- Pumped storage supports clean, cheap, but intermittent wind energy generation, allowing the existing transmission grid to handle more wind without additional transmission investment.
- Pumped storage “shapes” wind generated electricity as the wind often blows more at night.
Symbiotics has recently applied for Federal (FERC) permits to build and operate two such facilities in Utah totaling approximately 2,000 MW of desperately needed peaking electricity capacity (2,000 MW is the size of a new coal or natural gas-fired electricity generating plant, or 40 new solar electricity generating plants or 2-3 new wind farms).
The Texas facilities are expected to be ~500-700MW each. Cost is $1,000-$1,100/kw. Variable operating cost is~$15/mwhplus pumping electricity. Sources of revenue are:
- Replacement of balancing service required by Transmission Company.
- Replacement of spinning reserve service required by Transmission Company.
- Uplift from being able to sell firm peak hour blocks.
- Sale of additional peak hour electricity in unused (free) transmission space.
Economics are location specific. Ancillary services could be sold to the local utility to strengthen the grid allowing more wind development.
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