Renewable Energy Aggregators [formerly Merchant Hydro Developers, LLC] Wednesday announced the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission disclaimed licensing jurisdiction over three pumped storage hydroelectric projects allowing them to proceed without the need to secure a federal license under the Federal Power Act.

The projects include--

-- Pennsylvania Pump Storage Project in Borough of Shenandoah, Schuylkill County.  The project is a 500 megawatt hydro project with a 470 acre upper reservoir and 135 acre lower reservoir using water from an underground abandoned mine.

-- Old Forge Bore Hole Reclamation Pumped Storage Project in Duryea Borough, Luzerne County and Lackawanna County.  The project is a 450 megawatt hydro project with a 300 acre upper reservoir and 300 acre lower reservoir with the source of water being an underground abandoned mine near the Old Forge Borehole.

-- Vandling Drift Reclamation Pumped Storage Project in Vandling, Wayne County.  The project is a 200 megawatt hydro project with a 300 acre upper reservoir and 140 acre lower reservoir using groundwater from an underground abandoned mine to fill and refill the reservoirs.

FERC was able to issue a favorable order because REA's unique design uses no surface or otherwise navigable waters.

In April, FERC issued a preliminary permit and authority to file a licence application for a fourth project--

-- Preckle Pumped Storage Hydro Project Duryea Borough, Luzerne County and Ransom Township, Lackawanna County.  The project is a 450 megawatt hydro project with a 300 acre upper reservoir and 200 acre lower reservoir with the source of water possibly being the Old Forge Borehole.

Click Here for full announcement.

There are two pump storage hydroelectric projects now in Pennsylvania with a generating capacity of 1,583 megawatts-- FirstEnergy Seneca, 513 MW in Kinzua Township, Warren County using 3.4 million gallons and Exelon’s Muddy Run, 1,070 MW in Drumore, Lancaster County using water from a 11.4 billion gallon lake.

There are now 5,718.3 megawatts of all types of hydroelectric power generation in the state or 3.1 percent of all electric generation capacity in Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the Renewable Energy Aggregators website.

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[Posted: June 20, 2018]

6/25/2018