Washington has long been a national leader in clean electricity. However, that progress brings a new challenge: reliability. As electricity demand grows and weather patterns become less predictable, the grid must be able to deliver power during winter cold snaps, summer heat waves, and periods when generation is constrained. That's where long-duration energy storage becomes essential. By storing energy when it's abundant and delivering it when demand is highest, pumped storage hydropower helps create a cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient electric grid.

The Build More Hydro bill (S. 1020) has been signed into law, giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authority to extend construction deadlines for certain hydropower projects that were delayed by pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and other extraordinary circumstances. “Hydropower delivers reliable, baseload energy that keeps the lights on throughout the country. Thanks to Senators Daines and Fetterman and Representative Newhouse, projects delayed by the COVID pandemic will get a second chance to create thousands of jobs, spur economic development, and support a more resilient grid," said Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development.

Two PPL utilities — Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities — are studying the 266-MW Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage project in southeast Kentucky. The technology, among the oldest and most proven forms of energy storage, is seeing a resurgence of interest to meet rising power demand.

Developer Rye Development is partnering with Kentucky utility companies Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) to evaluate a 266 MW pumped hydro energy storage project. Once constructed, it would be the first project of its kind in Kentucky and one of the first new pumped hydro projects built in the US in over 30 years.

Rye Development is teaming up with Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, subsidiaries of PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL), to bring pumped storage hydropower to Kentucky. Partnering on the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project in Bell County will strengthen the power grid while supporting family-wage jobs and economic growth in Southeastern Kentucky.

Record levels of renewable curtailment are a clear signal: building wind and solar isn’t enough. We need storage to match. Erik Steimle, CEP, Vice President of Development at Rye Development, shares his insights into the critical role pumped storage hydropower is playing in the clean energy transition.

Rye Development secured a federal license to build a massive new pumped hydro energy storage facility in Washington state. The company could become the first to construct this type of grid megaproject in the U.S. since 1995.

U.S. energy regulators on Thursday issued a license for the Goldendale Energy Storage Project. "This is a landmark moment for the Pacific Northwest," Erik Steimle, Rye's chief development officer. "With electricity demand and energy costs on the rise, this license represents a huge step toward a more reliable grid and affordable energy prices for the region."

Rye Development just received a 40-year license for the proposed 1.2 gigawatt Goldendale Energy Storage Project in Washington State. The energy storage project redevelops a privately owned brownfield property—the site of the former Columbia Gorge Aluminum smelter plant—and creates 3,000 construction jobs over a 3-5 year period.

The closed-loop pumped storage hydropower project in Washington state advances after securing a 40-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The project will create an estimated 3,000 construction jobs, contribute millions in local taxes, and boost grid reliability.

Rye Development has submitted a Final License Application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project—a 266-megawatt pumped storage facility sited on former mine lands in southeastern Kentucky. In addition to creating more than 2,300 construction jobs, the project is poised to deliver substantial economic benefits to the local community—both during construction and for decades to come.

Erik Steimle, Rye Development Chief Development Officer, joined Volts podcast host, David Roberts, in a conversation about the state of the pumped storage industry, the benefits of closed-loop systems, and more.

Rye Development is proud to announce that Erik Steimle, chief development officer, has been appointed to the National Hydropower Association (NHA) board of directors. This esteemed role reflects Erik’s extensive expertise, proven leadership, and deep commitment to advancing hydropower as a cornerstone of America’s energy future.

With decades of experience in developing both run-of-river and pumped storage hydropower projects, Erik has been instrumental in navigating complex regulatory landscapes, fostering local community partnerships, and driving innovative hydropower solutions. Born and raised in Oregon—where hydropower supplies 42% of the state’s electricity—Erik brings a unique perspective on the critical role hydropower plays in delivering affordable, reliable, carbon-free energy across the U.S.

Rye Development, the leading U.S. developer of pumped storage, is excited to announce it has submitted a Draft License Application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the 287-megawatt Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project. The energy storage facility in Bell County, Kentucky, will have the capacity to store electricity for up to eight hours and generate electricity to power 67,000 homes.

With $81 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rye Development aims to build the first pumped storage hydropower project on the site of a former mine to bolster the grid and revitalize the local economy.

With funding from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, the projects in Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania advance efforts to help with the energy transition. The administration said the energy projects will strengthen the country’s energy security while helping ensure mining communities continue playing a role in the energy economy.

Rye Development, the leading U.S. developer of pumped storage hydropower, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected the company to receive $81 million to advance its Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project. The project will convert former mine land in Bell County, Ky., into a closed-loop, 287-megawatt (MW) pumped storage hydropower facility, with the capacity to store electricity for up to eight hours and generate electricity to power 67,000 homes.

A giant energy storage project proposed for the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge cleared a significant hurdle. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff finalized an environmental impact statement that endorses the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, proposed for a site on the Washington side of the Columbia 110 miles upriver from Portland.

Green energy has a storage problem. Wind and sunshine are intermittent, which means they don't produce energy we can utilize at will. Sometimes the sun just doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, and other times we have an overabundance of both. This doesn't correspond to our own, fluctuating demand for energy, which is why we need to store more energy to balance our grid. Across the world, interest in pumped storage hydropower is booming.

A proposal from hydropower company Rye Development could see the site of a former coal mine in Bell County repurposed as a pumped energy storage hydropower facility. The company says it would invest $1.5 billion to the project and create 1,500 construction jobs. The facility would generate 287 megawatts of energy and would power 67,000 homes.

Rye Development is pioneering a new type of renewable energy agreement that supports 24/7/365 carbon-free power for Iron Mountain Data Centers. The groundbreaking offtake agreement – the first of its kind in the hydropower industry – will speed the development of more than a dozen low-impact hydroelectric projects in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia over the next decade and help Iron Mountain move closer to achieving its sustainability goals.

When thousands of gallons of water flow through a dam, it generates a lot of force and power. But what happens when you harness that power? You could provide electricity to a community or two, of course.

Rye Development, a developer of low-impact renewable hydropower generation, will construct facilities at Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River, at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4, also known as Charleroi, and at the Allegheny River Locks and Dam 2.

On March 2, 2023, the Department of Energy announced a plan to invest $3.7 million to expand collaboration on the sometimes competing goals of maintaining hydropower as a key source of renewable energy while supporting communities and protecting the environment.

“This is a resource where infrastructure is already built, the dams are still being maintained, and they are not going away,” says Paul Jacob, Rye Development's chief executive. “So why not capture that energy and use it?”

An interview with Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development. With a pipeline of 25 projects across the US, Rye is committed to the responsible development of untapped hydropower resources while maintaining balance of the rivers’ environmental and commercial requirements, says Jacob. Through responsible energy development, Rye brings communities around the country substantial infrastructure, job creation, and a local source of renewable, non-consumptive energy.

A 300-acre “battery” 11 miles north of Klamath Falls will play a crucial piece of the region's evolving power grid. A $1 billion project in which two 60-acre reservoirs will confront the threat of drought and power outages in the West.

Entrepreneurs coast to coast are coming up with innovative technologies showing not only that we can live without carbon-based energy, but also that we can thrive without it. Rye Development was one of seven companies featured in this article about green technology innovations.