A Novel Reuse of Coal Mines for Hydropower in Appalachia

Despite its proven effectiveness and potential to create jobs in rural areas, the United States faces significant challenges in developing new hydropower storage projects. Despite being a technology with a history spanning over a century, there has not been a new large-scale hydropower storage project in the country for the past 30 years. The development process for such projects involves navigating through regulatory obstacles, engaging in lengthy consultations with multiple stakeholders, and facing the risk of substantial upfront capital investment without immediate revenue prospects. This paper will provide an overview of an innovative reuse of mine lands for renewable energy, detail the steps and timelines involved in repurposing of mine lands for hydropower storage projects by repurposing a land historically used for coal mining. The paper will describe geotechnical challenges of working at a mine site, the techniques of addressing seepage, geotechnical exploration, and design issues with real world example of projects which have been selected by the Department of Energy through a very competitive process. Furthermore, the paper will dive into the state of mine lands and its tremendous opportunity for pumped storage and other renewable technologies in Appalachia.