Comments on: Time to Repeal New Source Review? (Up to 30 GW of coal-plant upgrades hangs in the balance) http://www.masterresource.org/2010/02/time-to-repeal-new-source-review/ A free-market energy blog Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:38:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ashby Lynch http://www.masterresource.org/2010/02/time-to-repeal-new-source-review/comment-page-1/#comment-4331 Ashby Lynch Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:32:29 +0000 http://www.masterresource.org/?p=7176#comment-4331 These improvements make sense and need to be done. What portion of the labor and materials would originate in the U.S for these upgrades? Can the unions be employed to lobby for this? I would like to see a thorough discussion of the pump storage issue for the U. S. I live in West Virginia, and have worked in the past in the coal industy, particularly the permitting of underground and surface mines. I think one of the great wastes of opportunity in the past several years is the neglect to use the massive surface mine sites to create a post mining land use of pump storage resevoirs. The earth is being moved, in most cases a vertical differential of 500 to 1000 feet is available, and the industry has expertise in dam construction. However, the interrelations of the land owners, mineral owners, and coal mining companies is such that it is difficult to sell and coordinate such an endeavor. It seems that the pump storage facilities in operation in Bath County by Dominion, Raccoon Mt. by TVA, etc. are fully utilized. Is there a need for more pump storage? What would the combination of pump storage and increased efficiency of our power plants do for our energy production? These improvements make sense and need to be done. What portion of the labor and materials would originate in the U.S for these upgrades? Can the unions be employed to lobby for this?

I would like to see a thorough discussion of the pump storage issue for the U. S. I live in West Virginia, and have worked in the past in the coal industy, particularly the permitting of underground and surface mines. I think one of the great wastes of opportunity in the past several years is the neglect to use the massive surface mine sites to create a post mining land use of pump storage resevoirs. The earth is being moved, in most cases a vertical differential of 500 to 1000 feet is available, and the industry has expertise in dam construction. However, the interrelations of the land owners, mineral owners, and coal mining companies is such that it is difficult to sell and coordinate such an endeavor.

It seems that the pump storage facilities in operation in Bath County by Dominion, Raccoon Mt. by TVA, etc. are fully utilized.
Is there a need for more pump storage? What would the combination of pump storage and increased efficiency of our power plants do for our energy production?

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