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Released October 24, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--A pumped-storage hydropower plant planned for the site of a former coal mine in Kentucky came a step closer to reality as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) earlier this week announced that the project would receive $12 million, part of up to $81 million of the total project federal cost share. The project joins other renewable power plants planned at former coal mines or coal ash ponds in Kentucky.
The Lewis Ridge pumped-storage project is planned to be installed at a former coal mine in Bell County, Kentucky. The facility would have two man-made reservoirs, pumping water to the higher reservoir in times of low demand and letting it flow downward through turbines when stored energy is needed. As planned, the 287-megawatt (MW) Lewis Ridge plant would be able to provide eight hours of power to about 67,000 households. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
If completed, the facility would be the first pumped-storage plant sited at a former coal mine. But the developer of Lewis Ridge, Rye Development Acquisition LLC (West Palm Beach, Florida), has been scouting for similar sites. Rye Development Chief Executive Officer Paul Jacob said, "We have identified additional coal mine sites in the U.S. that are suitable for pumped storage hydropower, where insights gained from the Lewis Ridge facility can support future projects."
While the Lewis Ridge project might be the only pumped storage facility at a former mine site in Kentucky, other forms of renewable energy projects already are building or considering building at old mines or closed coal ash ponds in the state. Examples include Savion Energy LLC's (Kansas City, Missouri) solar power project in Martin County, Kentucky, near the West Virginia border. In 2021, Savion got the ball rolling on plans to construct a 200-MW solar farm on 1,200 acres at the site of the former Martiki coal mine, a mountain-top strip mine that closed in the 1990s. The site has clear access to sunlight, and the facility will be able to interconnect with the 138-kilovolt Inez Substation. Contractors broke ground on the project last year. The facility will use approximately 650,000 solar panels to provide its power. The project is expected to be completed early next year.
BrightNight LLC (West Palm Beach, Florida) has big plans for the former Starfire mine in southeastern Kentucky. BrightNight plans to kick off the first phase of construction of a new solar facility at the site by 2025, constructing an initial 210 MW of solar generation, supported by 210 MW of battery energy storage. This first phase of construction is set to be completed by 2027, with electric truck maker Rivian Automotive Incorporated (NASDAQ:RIVN) (Irvine, California) as an anchor customer with a 100-MW power purchase agreement in place.
BrightNight hopes to build up the solar and battery storage facilities so that each eventually provides more than 800 MW of energy, with the final phase in place by the close of 2032. Subscribers can click here for the related project reports.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (Knoxville, Tennessee) is getting in on the action for reclaimed sites in Kentucky with plans to construct a 100-MW solar plant at the site of a closed coal ash pond at the still-operating Shawnee coal-fired power plant in West Paducah. Project Phoenix, as it is known, would use a patented closure cap system that allows for the building of solar generation at the site of closed landfills and impoundments. TVA is keeping a close eye on the success of the project as it may provide a bellwether for the success of other solar installations at retired coal ash ponds, which provide close proximity to existing infrastructure. TVA has set the goal of becoming 80% carbon-free by 2035, which includes building a planned 10,000 MW of solar power. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
While Kentucky appears to have to the most potential renewable projects at coal-related sites, it certainly doesn't hold a monopoly on their development. The Backbone solar project in Garrett County, Maryland, is being built by Competitive Power Ventures (Silver Spring, Maryland) at a 120-year-old former coal mine. Construction kicked off in early 2022 and is expected to wrap up next year. Upon completion, the facility will have a nameplate generating capacity of more than 175 MW, making it Maryland's largest solar farm. The brownfield site's proximity to existing power lines and grid infrastructure means that it will be able to provide power soon after construction is completed. A 38-MW addition could be finished by the close of next year, although this remains in the planning stage. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The Lewis Ridge pumped-storage project is planned to be installed at a former coal mine in Bell County, Kentucky. The facility would have two man-made reservoirs, pumping water to the higher reservoir in times of low demand and letting it flow downward through turbines when stored energy is needed. As planned, the 287-megawatt (MW) Lewis Ridge plant would be able to provide eight hours of power to about 67,000 households. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
If completed, the facility would be the first pumped-storage plant sited at a former coal mine. But the developer of Lewis Ridge, Rye Development Acquisition LLC (West Palm Beach, Florida), has been scouting for similar sites. Rye Development Chief Executive Officer Paul Jacob said, "We have identified additional coal mine sites in the U.S. that are suitable for pumped storage hydropower, where insights gained from the Lewis Ridge facility can support future projects."
While the Lewis Ridge project might be the only pumped storage facility at a former mine site in Kentucky, other forms of renewable energy projects already are building or considering building at old mines or closed coal ash ponds in the state. Examples include Savion Energy LLC's (Kansas City, Missouri) solar power project in Martin County, Kentucky, near the West Virginia border. In 2021, Savion got the ball rolling on plans to construct a 200-MW solar farm on 1,200 acres at the site of the former Martiki coal mine, a mountain-top strip mine that closed in the 1990s. The site has clear access to sunlight, and the facility will be able to interconnect with the 138-kilovolt Inez Substation. Contractors broke ground on the project last year. The facility will use approximately 650,000 solar panels to provide its power. The project is expected to be completed early next year.
BrightNight LLC (West Palm Beach, Florida) has big plans for the former Starfire mine in southeastern Kentucky. BrightNight plans to kick off the first phase of construction of a new solar facility at the site by 2025, constructing an initial 210 MW of solar generation, supported by 210 MW of battery energy storage. This first phase of construction is set to be completed by 2027, with electric truck maker Rivian Automotive Incorporated (NASDAQ:RIVN) (Irvine, California) as an anchor customer with a 100-MW power purchase agreement in place.
BrightNight hopes to build up the solar and battery storage facilities so that each eventually provides more than 800 MW of energy, with the final phase in place by the close of 2032. Subscribers can click here for the related project reports.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (Knoxville, Tennessee) is getting in on the action for reclaimed sites in Kentucky with plans to construct a 100-MW solar plant at the site of a closed coal ash pond at the still-operating Shawnee coal-fired power plant in West Paducah. Project Phoenix, as it is known, would use a patented closure cap system that allows for the building of solar generation at the site of closed landfills and impoundments. TVA is keeping a close eye on the success of the project as it may provide a bellwether for the success of other solar installations at retired coal ash ponds, which provide close proximity to existing infrastructure. TVA has set the goal of becoming 80% carbon-free by 2035, which includes building a planned 10,000 MW of solar power. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
While Kentucky appears to have to the most potential renewable projects at coal-related sites, it certainly doesn't hold a monopoly on their development. The Backbone solar project in Garrett County, Maryland, is being built by Competitive Power Ventures (Silver Spring, Maryland) at a 120-year-old former coal mine. Construction kicked off in early 2022 and is expected to wrap up next year. Upon completion, the facility will have a nameplate generating capacity of more than 175 MW, making it Maryland's largest solar farm. The brownfield site's proximity to existing power lines and grid infrastructure means that it will be able to provide power soon after construction is completed. A 38-MW addition could be finished by the close of next year, although this remains in the planning stage. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
