Pumped Hydroelectricity Energy Storage (PHES) is vital to the global energy transition puzzle. With energy de-carbonization and rising demand for the use of cyclically variable renewable sources (solar, wind, and tides), 24/7 power-hungry electric-powered transportation, and mega-data storage centers, the diurnal generation and complementary storage of electric power must go hand in hand. Chemical battery storage at multi-gigawatt scales is expensive, limited, and potentially hazardous. The potential is there for relatively low-impact PHES schemes, acting as water-based physical batteries to store, as potential energy, many times the energy needs of the world (https://re100.eng.anu.edu.au/). Over 90 PHES schemes are in various development stages in the US alone.
Geophysics has enormous potential to assist and de-risk, with other geosciences, in geotechnical/engineering development phases of PHES schemes from feasibility, planning, investigation of geotechnical conditions, design, construction, environmental impacts, and operation.
A panel of experts will outline, discuss, and cover audience questions about the principles and variety of PHES schemes including: -
• global to local potential and status of development of PHES,
• comparative benefits and contributions to energy budgets,
• options and challenges for design,
• geotechnical challenges impacting safe design and construction,
• uses of geophysics and the need for geophysics and geophysical research and innovation to help solve these challenges.