Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant
| Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant | |
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View of the power station
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 Location of Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant in Georgia (U.S. state)
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Floyd County, near Rome, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 34°21′20″N 85°18′14″W / 34.35556°N 85.30389°WCoordinates: 34°21′20″N 85°18′14″W / 34.35556°N 85.30389°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1977 |
| Commission date | 1995 |
| Construction cost | $1 billion |
| Owner(s) |
Oglethorpe Power (75%) Georgia Power (25%) |
| Operator(s) | Oglethorpe Power |
| Pumped-storage power station | |
| Upper reservoir | Rocky Mountain Upper |
| Upper res. capacity | 10,650 acre·ft (13,140,000 m3) |
| Lower reservoir | Rocky Mountain Lower |
| Lower res. capacity | 18,800 acre·ft (23,200,000 m3) |
| Hydraulic head | 613 ft (187 m) (minimum net) |
| Pump-generators | 3 x 365 MW (489,000 hp) Francis pump-turbines |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,095 MW (1,468,000 hp) |
The Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant is a pumped-storage power plant located 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Rome in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is named after Rock Mountain on top of which the plant's upper reservoir is located. Construction on the plant began in 1977 and it was commissioned in 1995. After upgrades were completed in 2011, the plant has an installed capacity of 1,095 megawatts (1,468,000 hp). It is owned by both Oglethorpe Power and Georgia Power which have 75 percent and 25 percent stakes, respectively.
After Georgia Power applied for a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license to operate the plant in 1972, they began to carry out design studies and plans for land acquisition. Construction on the project began in 1977 after the FERC license was granted. The initial phase included the tunnels, , roads and bridges. Construction was suspended in 1985 when the project was 20 percent complete. In 1987, Oglethorpe Power, who was in need of a pumped-storage plant, began negotiations with Georgia Power to complete the power plant. On 15 December 1988, the two power companies reached an agreement after Oglethorpe received a US$706.8 million loan guarantee. The agreement allowed Oglethorpe to operate the plant and have a 75 percent stake in ownership. Construction on the power plant restarted shortly after the agreement. In 1995 the power plant was completed and the generators commissioned. The project cost $1 billion and it was dedicated on 9 October 1995. An upgrade of the power station was completed in 2011 which increased the installed generating capacity of each turbine-generator from 283 megawatts (380,000 hp) to 365 megawatts (489,000 hp). This increased the installed capacity of the plant from 849 megawatts (1,139,000 hp) to 1,095 MW. The power of the pumps was also increased as well. The upgrade may seem early for the young power plant but the turbines, pumps and inlet valves were purchased before construction was suspended and sat in storage.
As a pumped-storage power plant, it uses two reservoirs to produce electricity and store energy. The upper reservoir stores water (energy) for periods when electricity demand is high. During these periods, water from the upper reservoir is released down to the power plant to produce hydroelectricity. Water from the power plant is then discharged into the lower reservoir. When energy demand is low, usually at night, water is pumped from the lower reservoir back up to the upper reservoir. The upper reservoir can be replenished in as little as 7.2 hours. The same turbine-generators that are used to generate electricity reverse into pumps during pumping mode.
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