Pumped-storage hydropower: trading off environmental values?
Date
2019-03-28
Authors
Pittock, Jamie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Australian National University
Abstract
Aflood of pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) project proposals have washed over Australia in the past 5 years. This article will outline the nature of PSH, and its past and proposed use in Australia. Environmental impacts and opportunities from this technology are summarised, followed by an assessment of the implications for regulators in Australia. PSH projects exist and are under construction or are being considered in New South Wales, Queensland,
South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. While this old technology has been deployed in Australia since 1973, the need for greater energy storage capacity to enable increased use of intermittent solar and wind generation
has seen a resurgence of interest in pumped storage. Thousands of physically feasible sites for PSH exist in Australia. PSH developments can involve trade-offs between greater use of renewable energy to mitigate climate change and other environmental values. The implications for regulating the negative impacts and positive synergies for PSH in Australia are discussed
here.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Collections
Source
Woroni
Type
Newspaper/magazine article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access via Publisher site
License Rights
DOI
Restricted until
2037-12-31