Michigan utilities upgrade pumped storage plant ahead of renewable push

Energy News Network: Concealed under a grassy slope, water pours through a set of massive chutes, pummeling a bank of underground turbines before spilling into Lake Michigan.

When electricity demand drops off, the turbines will reverse, pushing water back up the embankment into a massive reservoir overlooking the lake.

This is the never-ending cycle for the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant, which serves as a sort of giant battery for Michigan’s electric grid. When power is in demand, it can generate nearly 1,900 megawatts for the grid. When electricity is cheap, it uses grid power to refill its two-and-a-half-mile long reservoir.

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