GEI to work on Iowa Hill pumped storage project

7 May 2014


Schematic of Iowa Hill pumped storage project

GEI Consultants, Inc has announced it is providing certain Owner's Engineer services for the proposed 400MW Iowa Hill pumped storage project in California, US, as part of the Jacobs Associates team for the project.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) recently awarded the Jacobs Associates team the Owner's Engineer services contract for preliminary design and construction services on the proposed project. If constructed, Iowa Hill would be located near the town of Camino, roughly 50 miles (80km) east of Sacramento.

GEI will lead the design of the 6400 acre-foot (7.9Mm3) upper reservoir, a lined impoundment that will be formed by an earth and rock-fill dam with a maximum height of more than 200ft (60.96m) and a crest length of 5900ft (1798.3m). The design of the dam and reservoir will be under the regulatory authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD).

"The electricity generated would connect the existing transmission line that connects SMUD's existing Upper American River hydroelectric project with the District's customers."

The project would utilize an existing reservoir on the American River, from which water would be pumped up to a new 6400 acre-foot (7.9Mm3) capacity upper reservoir, where the water would be stored. During peak electrical demand periods, water would flow from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir via a 1000ft-deep (305m) shaft through 3500ft (1067m) of water tunnels. The electricity generated would connect the existing transmission line that connects SMUD's existing Upper American River hydroelectric project with the District's customers.

"Jacobs Associates has assembled an outstanding team to provide the Owner's Engineer services for the proposed Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage Project," said Jacobs Associates Principal Mike McRae. "Our team is thrilled to have the opportunity to support SMUD on the planning and feasibility of this major pumped-storage hydroelectric project."

The team began the geotechnical investigation's drilling program in December. The drilling program will include a geotechnical exploratory drift (tunnel) from the surface to the proposed underground powerhouse cavern vicinity. The results of the drilling program will help SMUD determine whether the Iowa Hill project site is viable for construction of the tunnels and underground cavern that would house the generating equipment.

The team consists of Jacobs Associates (prime), GEI Consultants, HDR Engineering, AF-Consult of Switzerland, Carlton Engineering, AMEC, IEC Corporation, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Stillwater Sciences, Ascent Environmental, Crux Subsurface, and Foxfire Constructors.


Photo: Schematic of the Iowa Hill pumped storage project in California. Courtesy SMUD.




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