pumped storage

noun

: a hydroelectric system in which electricity is generated during periods of high demand by the use of water that has been pumped into a reservoir at a higher altitude during periods of low demand

Examples of pumped storage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The other main source of storage will be pumped storage hydroelectricity, also known as pumped hydro, where water is pumped to a higher elevation when electricity is plentiful and cheap—like on sunny, windy days—and released when supply dips or demand spikes. Tim De Chant, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2021 One viable alternative is pumped storage, which moves water into a higher-elevation reservoir during low demand and prices -- typically at night -- then taps the power during high demand periods by running the water downhill through hydroelectric turbines. oregonlive, 21 July 2021 Companies have proposed pumped storage hydropower projects, an old and expensive technology that uses huge amounts of water to store energy in California’s mountains -- and in one controversial case, a desert. Dave Merrill, Bloomberg.com, 18 Sep. 2020 Now, however, a kind of global renaissance in the technology, known as pumped storage, is taking place. Stanley Reed Matilde Viegas, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2023 The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $2.4 billion for pumped storage. Jeff McMahon, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022 Nonetheless, legacy pumped storage projects provide 90 percent of U.S. energy storage capacity, Reicher said: 22,000 megawatts or 550,000 megawatt hours. Jeff McMahon, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022 One factor in pumped storage’s favor is the number of mines that are tapped out already, or will be soon. Rhiannon Hoyle, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 Like their hydroelectric cousins, pumped storage projects must face the reality of a drying climate. Tim Fitzpatrick, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pumped storage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pumped storage was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near pumped storage

Cite this Entry

“Pumped storage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pumped%20storage. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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