The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a preliminary permit for Daybreak Power Inc’s proposed 2650MW Halverson Canyon Pumped Storage project near Creston, Washington, marking an important early milestone for this estimated $4.9 billion project.
The Halverson Canyon project is a pumped storage hydropower facility that would use water from Lake Roosevelt and a new reservoir in an upland area above the lake. In June, the US Bureau of Reclamation selected the Halverson Canyon project through a competitive process to receive a preliminary Lease of Power Privilege. Reclamation has determined the project offers the most cost-effective alternative for pumped storage at Lake Roosevelt.
“Study after study shows we’re going to need massive amounts of storage to integrate high levels of wind and solar, and we need to do it smart,” said Daybreak CEO Jim Day. “The Halverson Canyon project does that. This project marks a turning point for the Pacific Northwest to transition off fossil resources and onto carbon-free renewables at a scale never seen before.”
The Halverson Canyon facility is Daybreak’s third and largest energy storage proposal, following its proposed 1540MW Next Generation Pumped Storage facility near Hoover Dam and 2210MW Navajo Energy Storage Station near Lake Powell.
