Sep. 22—BLUEFIELD, Va. — The long-planned hydro-electric pump station project for East River Mountain is still "under consideration," officials with Dominion Energy said Friday.
The company originally proposed the $2 billion project for East River Mountain, near Bluefield, Va., in 2017. Dominion purchased 2,600 acres of land along East River Mountain in 2009 for what was originally envisioned as a wind turbine farm. The hydro pump storage project was later proposed for the site.
However, no decisions to date have been made on that project, Jeremy Slayton, a spokesperson for Dominion Energy, said Friday.
"The best approach to meet our customer needs while maintaining reliable and affordable energy is an all-of-the-above strategy," Slayton said. "The Tazewell County project is still under consideration as a part of that strategy, but no decision has been made at this time."
Slayton said Dominion's all-of-the-above strategy includes energy storage, off shore wind, solar, nuclear and other forms of energy.
Delegate James W. "Will" Morefield, R-Tazewell, is among those who have recently inquired about the status of the project.
"Representatives from Dominion have expressed to me the project is still on the table," Morefield said. "I believe the company is doing everything they can to move it forward, but with all large scale projects it will take time. I will continue to offer my support of the project and hope this is something that will come to fruition sooner or later."
Morefield said he thinks the company is still committed to the hydro-electric pump station project, but he added he believes Dominion is also shifting its focus toward off-shore wind.
Dominion originally announced plans for the pump storage facility in 2017 after the wind turbine farm project was abandoned following widespread local opposition to that idea.
Pump storage is a renewable energy source and works by having an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir, with at least a thousand foot drop between the two. Electricity is then produced as the water is released from the upper reservoir, running through tunnels and using the force of the falling water to rotate turbines at the lower reservoir, according to earlier reports.
Water used is then pumped back up to the upper reservoir. Electricity can then be produced in a short period of time and be ready for use during peak demand periods.
The company originally estimated that the project would create 2,000 construction jobs over a five-year period, 50 permanent jobs as well as millions in tax revenue for Tazewell and other Southwest Virginia counties in a revenue-sharing agreement.