Salina Pumped Storage Project, Oklahoma

image from pumped storage exhibit
The Salina Pumped Storage Plant is in northeastern Oklahoma.

The Salina Pumped Storage Plant in northeastern Oklahoma is one of a few dozen pumped storage operations in the USA. The powerhouse is located at the dam in Chimney Rock Hollow, between the upper reservoir, Lake Holly, and the lower reservoir, Lake Hudson. The earth and rock-fill dam is 185 feet high, and the plant has six penstocks that run down the face of the dam, bringing water from the upper reservoir to the six reversible pump/turbines, which together generate a maximum of 260 megawatts. It is owned and operated by the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA), which operates the Kerr Dam, a large conventional hydro dam on the Grand River, which provides flood control and power for the region, and forms Lake Hudson. GRDA is the state’s largest electrical utility.