en.Wedoany.com Reported - PPL Corporation subsidiaries Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities, in collaboration with U.S. hydropower developer Rye Development, plan to construct the Lewis Ridge pumped storage hydroelectric project in Bell County, southeastern Kentucky. With an investment of approximately $1.3 billion, the project will be built on former coal mine land utilizing pumped storage technology. Upon completion, it will become Kentucky's first pumped storage project and one of the first new pumped storage facilities in the United States in over three decades.

LG&E and KU President John R. Crockett III stated: "The Lewis Ridge pumped storage project is a significant initiative in partnership with Rye Development. As the first of its kind in Kentucky, it will help optimize our generating fleet and support the state's continued economic growth. Pumped storage hydro technology has been used globally for many years, and we are excited to be part of bringing it to eastern Kentucky."

Rye Development CEO Paul Jacob said: "Large-scale energy storage systems like the Lewis Ridge project not only strengthen grid functionality but also serve as long-term investments, delivering economic benefits to communities and stabilizing energy prices. We look forward to working with LG&E and KU to advance this pumped storage hydro project in a region with a strong energy supply tradition."

This pumped storage hydroelectric project is designed as an eight-hour energy storage system with a daily generating capacity of 266 megawatts. During periods of low electricity demand, surplus power is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir for storage. During peak demand, the stored water is released through turbines to generate electricity, effectively balancing grid load.

The project received a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2022 and is currently applying for a final license. LG&E and KU are conducting evaluations, and if results are positive, they plan to file an application for authorization with the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Construction is expected to begin as early as 2027, with commercial operation targeted for 2031.

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