Salina Pumped Storage Project
Encyclopedia
By the mid-1960s, projected power demands by customers of the Grand River Dam Authority
(GRDA) were expected to exceed the Authority's generating capacity. All of the acceptable hydroelectric dam sites along the Grand River (Oklahoma)
had been used. GRDA decided to employ pumped storage hydroelectricity technology, already used in Europe, but little-used in the United States. The Salina Pumped Storage Project (SPSP) was built along Saline Creek, which fed into Lake Hudson
. Both Lake Hudson and Lake W. R. Holway
are integral parts of this project.
to lift the water. External power, in this case an electric motor, supplies the needed energy. Later, the external power is switched off and water flows backward through the device, enabling it to function as a hydraulic turbine generating energy to drive an electric power generator. Ideally, the power generated would offset the power consumed in elevating the water. In practice, there are inefficiencies in the system that cause the power consumed raising the water to significantly exceed the energy generated during the reversal of water flow. GRDA has stated that pumping water from Lake Hudson (the source) into Lake W. R. Holway
(the receiver) consumes nearly twice the power that can be recovered from the hydraulic generator. The real benefit from the process is that the owner can use power for pumping when overall power demand from customers is lower, and supply electric power when customer demand is higher. It is an effective way to provide peaking power because the system can be brought on line (or taken off line) very quickly.
The SPSP is controlled remotely from the GRDA Energy Control Center at the Robert S. Kerr Dam, which created Lake Hudson.
In 1981, Chimney Rock Reservoir was renamed Lake W. R. Holway, in honor of a noted consulting engineer who had been responsible for engineering several important projects in Oklahoma, including the SPSP.
(FERC) requires that Lake Hudson elevation be a minimum of 619 feet (188.7 m) in order to pump water into Lake W. R. Holway. This required GRDA to lower Grand Lake
by 48200 acre-feet.
Grand River Dam Authority
The Grand River Dam Authority is an Oklahoma agency created to control, develop, and maintain the Grand River waterway. It was created by the Oklahoma state legislature in 1935, and is headquartered in Vinita, Oklahoma. It operates three hydroelectric facilities and two reservoirs, Grand Lake...
(GRDA) were expected to exceed the Authority's generating capacity. All of the acceptable hydroelectric dam sites along the Grand River (Oklahoma)
Grand River (Oklahoma)
The Grand River is an alternate name for the lower section of the Neosho River, a tributary of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. "Grand River" refers to the section of river below the confluence of the Neosho and Spring rivers in Ottawa County near Miami...
had been used. GRDA decided to employ pumped storage hydroelectricity technology, already used in Europe, but little-used in the United States. The Salina Pumped Storage Project (SPSP) was built along Saline Creek, which fed into Lake Hudson
Lake Hudson (Oklahoma)
Note: The Robert S. Kerr Dam described in this article should not be confused with the Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River ....
. Both Lake Hudson and Lake W. R. Holway
Lake W. R. Holway
Lake W. R. Holway is a reservoir in Mayes County, Oklahoma on the Saline Creek arm of Lake Hudson . It was created in 1968 by the Grand River Dam Authority as an integral part of the Salina Pumped Storage Project. It is northeast of Locust Grove and southeast of Salina, Oklahoma. Originally named...
are integral parts of this project.
Design philosophy
The process essentially consists of pumping water from a lower elevation into a containment at a higher elevation. In this step, the mechanical device used to move the water acts like a conventional pumpPump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
to lift the water. External power, in this case an electric motor, supplies the needed energy. Later, the external power is switched off and water flows backward through the device, enabling it to function as a hydraulic turbine generating energy to drive an electric power generator. Ideally, the power generated would offset the power consumed in elevating the water. In practice, there are inefficiencies in the system that cause the power consumed raising the water to significantly exceed the energy generated during the reversal of water flow. GRDA has stated that pumping water from Lake Hudson (the source) into Lake W. R. Holway
Lake W. R. Holway
Lake W. R. Holway is a reservoir in Mayes County, Oklahoma on the Saline Creek arm of Lake Hudson . It was created in 1968 by the Grand River Dam Authority as an integral part of the Salina Pumped Storage Project. It is northeast of Locust Grove and southeast of Salina, Oklahoma. Originally named...
(the receiver) consumes nearly twice the power that can be recovered from the hydraulic generator. The real benefit from the process is that the owner can use power for pumping when overall power demand from customers is lower, and supply electric power when customer demand is higher. It is an effective way to provide peaking power because the system can be brought on line (or taken off line) very quickly.
Construction
The project was constructed in two stages:- Stage 1 consisted of building an earth and rock filled dam in Chimney Rock Hollow 185 feet (56.4 m) high, creating Chimney Rock Reservoir. A canal 1850 ft long led from the dam to a forebay structure that had openings for steel penstocks,each 14 ft in diameter. Three penstocks led from the forebay to a powerhouse that housed three 64,000 horsepower pump-generators, with a total rated capacity of 130 megawatts. This stage was completed in 1968.
- Stage 2 comprised building three more penstocks, extending the powerhouse and adding three more pump-generators, all identical to those installed in Stage 1. This doubled the facility's capacity to 260 mw. It was completed in 1971.
The SPSP is controlled remotely from the GRDA Energy Control Center at the Robert S. Kerr Dam, which created Lake Hudson.
In 1981, Chimney Rock Reservoir was renamed Lake W. R. Holway, in honor of a noted consulting engineer who had been responsible for engineering several important projects in Oklahoma, including the SPSP.
Effects of Drought on operation
Severe drought in 2005 greatly reduced runoff in the entire Grand River watershed. This caused levels of the reservoirs along the river to fall. In particular, the water level of Lake Hudson dropped to 615 feet (187.5 m) by January 2006. The SPSP agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
(FERC) requires that Lake Hudson elevation be a minimum of 619 feet (188.7 m) in order to pump water into Lake W. R. Holway. This required GRDA to lower Grand Lake
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees is situated in Northeast Oklahoma, nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range. The "o'" in the name of the lake stands for of not over. Grand Lake Of the Cherokees is the official name. It is often simply called Grand Lake...
by 48200 acre-feet.