We upgraded the plant’s peak generating capability to a maximum of 1,050 MW, while increasing the plant cycle efficiency

Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydropower Project and Upgrade

The Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydropower Project provides peaking power to 39 electric membership co-operatives, serving almost two-thirds of Georgia’s land mass.

The 221-acre upper reservoir includes a 12,800-foot-long, 65-foot-high earth and rock-fill dam, a communications and instrumentation building, an emergency overflow spillway, and three miles of access roads. The 600-acre lower reservoir features seven earth and rock-fill dams with a total length of 2,470 feet, a 100-foot-high concrete-gravity and rock-fill dam, an ogee-type, controlled overflow spillway with two radial gates, and a reinforced-concrete gate pier. It also includes two reinforced-concrete retaining walls in the stilling basin, two uncontrolled broad-crested spillways, two low-level outlet works, five miles of access roads, four bridges, a 175-foot-high powerhouse with three reversible pump/turbines, and motor/generator units.

Our team established all constraints and benefits of the upgrade, integrated them into a comprehensive implementation plan, and is serving as owner’s engineer for the duration of the project.