Kentucky's Landscape Faces Pumped Storage Environmental Deep Dive
Published Date: 5/12/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is getting ready to study how building and running the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project in Bell County, Kentucky, might affect the environment. This project could change local landscapes and energy use, so the Commission wants to hear from the public before making decisions. They’re working on a detailed report and asking for more comments soon, aiming to keep things on track and clear for everyone involved.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
Tom Fork River inundation and water use
If you live in Kentucky near Bell County, the lower reservoir would inundate part of the 1.8-mile Tom Fork River. The project requires about 2,808 acre-feet for initial fill, 149 acre-feet annually for recharge, and would only make flows above 2.8 cubic feet per second available for maintenance; about 10% of the mean monthly flow in the Cumberland River could be used to supplement flows.
Private land and land-use changes
If you own property in Bell County, Kentucky, about 148 acres of privately owned land and roughly 16 additional private parcels would be inside the project boundary, and the project would build permanent and temporary roads (about 7.1 miles permanent, 4 miles temporary). The project would create a 48.2-acre upper reservoir and a 51.6-acre lower reservoir, which could change land use and local aesthetics.
Construction impacts on local economy and air/noise
If you live near the project area in Bell County, construction and operation could change the local economy and cause noise, vibrations, and air-quality effects during work. The Commission specifically lists changes to local economics, noise/vibrations, and air quality as potential effects during construction and operation.
Potential public safety from water releases
If you are near project reservoirs in Bell County, the project would include emergency release features and water-surface fluctuations (upper reservoir about 74 feet, lower reservoir about 100 feet), and staff identified public safety risks from potential project-related water releases. The lower reservoir dam would include a low-level outlet for emergency releases and to provide about 2.8 cfs to the downstream Tom Fork River.
New 308 MW pumped-storage adds peak power
The project would include two 154-megawatt reversible pump-turbines for a total rated capacity of 308 MW and could produce about 717,000 megawatt-hours of peak energy annually. It would operate by pumping during off-peak and generating during peak periods and is intended to provide on-peak hydroelectric power and ancillary services to the electrical grid.
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