The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has granted Rye Development a 40-year licence for its 1.2 GW Goldendale pumped storage hydropower project in Washington (United States) (Rye Development press release, 22/01/2026). The US$2bn project is located at the site of a former aluminium smelter near Goldendale, Washington, and it is expected store energy for up to 12 hours and generate 1.2 GW of on-demand electricity enough to power about 500,000 homes.
The Goldendale energy storage project is owned by Danish fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), who acquired the scheme in 2020, and is being developed by Rye Development (EDF power solutions and Climate Adaptive Infrastructure). Construction is scheduled to start in 2027 and to last 4 to 5years, with commercial operation expected in 2031-2032.
Rye Development expects electricity demand to grow more than 30% in the coming decade in the Northwest region and expects the project to keep affordable prices and ensure a reliable grid.
According to Enerdata’s Global Energy & CO2 data almost 8% of United States electricity capacities correspond to hydroelectricity (102 GW), of which pumped storage corresponds only to 22 GW.
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