The Lewis Ridge pumped storage hydroelectric facility project was awarded over $12 million last week from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). According to a release from the Department of Energy, the $12 million is part of the total federal cost share of up to $81 million for the project and allows Phase 1 activities to begin.
Lewis Ridge is a first-of-its-kind $1.3 billion coal to pumped storage hydropower facility planned for Bell County. The project is expected to create about 1,500 high-quality construction jobs, 30 operations jobs and enough energy to power nearly 67,000 homes each year. Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage, LLC, is an affiliate of Rye Development.
The project aims to convert former coal mine land near the Cumberland River into a closed-loop, 287 MW pumped storage hydroelectric facility that can deliver cost-effective, reliable electricity to surrounding communities, while storing up to eight hours of electricity when demand is low and providing backup power during extreme weather events.
This closed-loop facility would consist of two artificial reservoirs at different elevations. Acting like a water battery, the facility would move water between the two reservoirs, storing up to eight hours of electricity when demand is low, and generating 287 MW during times of peak electricity demand.
Rye Development CEO Paul Jacob has called the project an investment in strengthening the national electricity grid.
“The Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project will protect against blackouts and brownouts, while transforming a former mining site into a long-term economic engine for the region,” he said.
Rye Development is a leading U.S. hydropower developer and has successfully partnered with communities throughout the United States to create critical energy infrastructure projects that drive job creation and foster substantial local economic development.
Lewis Ridge would be one of the first pumped storage hydropower facilities constructed in the United States in more than 30 years, and the first to be built on former mine land. During Phase 1 of the project, Lewis Ridge will begin work on budgeting, scheduling, permitting, land rights, and licensing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Phase 1 is expected to take approximately 12 months. Construction on the project is expected to take about five years.
This project is projected to add millions in tax revenue to the community over the project’s projected 100-year lifetime.
In partnership with Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), a local nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the Kentucky Appalachian region, Lewis Ridge will continue expanding two-way community and labor engagement activities, which were initiated in 2022. Lewis Ridge plans to support workforce development opportunities through partnerships with unions and the Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College and by providing a Registered Apprenticeship Program and other subsidized workforce training activities.
The U.S. Department of Energy established OCED to help scale the emerging technologies needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. OCED’s mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector.