DEMATEL-AISM-Based Identification and Evaluation of Construction Cost Influencing Factors for Pumped Storage Projects in Northwest China

Economic growth in China’s northwest region has spurred a continuous increase in electricity demand, further amplifying the peak-valley disparity and accentuating the need for flexible grid regulation resources. Pumped storage stands out as the fastest growing flexible regulation power source. However, existing research has largely overlooked construction costs associated with establishing pumped storage power stations in the northwest region. This study thus proposes an identification and evaluation system for factors influencing the construction costs of pumped storage power stations, leveraging the Decision-Making and Trial Evaluation Laboratory Adversarial Interpretative Structure Model (DEMATEL-AISM) algorithm. Through this approach, key factors and mechanisms affecting the construction costs of pumped storage power stations are identified, and corresponding recommendations are proposed based on the findings to facilitate the development of pumped storage power stations in Northwest China.