Our Backyard: rPLus Hydro’s Guinea Pig

rPLus Hydro (a Salt Lake City, Utah based development firm) is proposing the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project (SPSP). SPSP aims to build large-scale energy storage. rPlus plans to exploit the existing Seminoe Reservoir and North Platte River as the lower reservoir. RPlus plans construction of a new upper reservoir on the ridge top. Water will be pumped uphill from Seminoe to the new reservoir, then released downhill through turbines back into Seminoe. This is called an “open-loop” system. 

The Open-Loop System

These open-loop systems are somewhat antiquated- we haven’t seen projects like this since the 70’s. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), 4/5 of the proposed Pumped Storage developments are closed-loop systems. Closed-loop systems are two man made reservoirs that feed into each other, with no connection to public waterways. The closed-loop systems are more popular because they have lower environmental impacts for aquatic habitats and riparian ecosystems. Oddly enough, rPlus has yet to try an open-loop system in their home state of Utah. Nonetheless, rPlus wants to give the open-loop system a try in our backyard, and risk our world-class fishery and the whole ecosystem of the North Platte River.

The reason the Seminoe Reservoir and Miracle Mile section of the North Platte was selected for this project boils down to checking boxes. In order for the open-loop SPSP to work, elevated terrain features, like a mountain, need to sit close to a body of water that can be drawn from, like a reservoir, and enough open land to run transmission lines. In our case, the mountain in question is the Seminoe range, home to bighorn sheep, deer and elk, among numerous other species. The reservoir is Seminoe, which feeds our blue ribbon fishery, the Miracle Mile. The open land for transmission lines is 300 acres of BLM, mainly composed of sagebrush steppe, home to iconic Sage Grouse. 

Why We Should Care

The proposed new reservoir site sits right in the middle of the only disease free Bighorn Sheep population in Wyoming- The Ferris-Seminoe Sheep Herd. Construction will destroy their habitat, food source, and the chance for the population to expand their range. This also increases their susceptibility to disease as they are displaced. The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation highlights that rPlus is asking for exemptions on all wildlife timing stipulations. rPlus is more than aware of the negative effects on the Ferris-Seminoe herd, which is why they are asking for exemption from the start. 

Sage Grouse are an iconic native bird in Wyoming- they are already a threatened species and this part of Wyoming is one of the last strongholds of this beautiful grouse. In fact, there has been talk about adding them to the Endangered Species List. These at-risk birds are highly susceptible to disturbances due to their specific habitat requirements and high fidelity to sagebrush steppe ecosystems. Increased traffic, transmission lines, noise pollution, fencing, and development brought by rPLus would be detrimental to their current success and long-term populations. 

Seminoe Reservoir is a recreational reservoir, home to a strong population of walleye. The recent Hydro Study estimates that 24,000 walleye will be killed annually, or 5.2 walleye every hour. This is referred to as “entrainment” in the study, which is essentially fish being sucked up in the turbines where they are chopped up similar to a blender. The Miracle Mile that flows from Seminoe is at risk as well. The Hydro Study admits that there will be changes in water temperature that will affect everything downstream come completion. During the construction phase, tunneling, blasting, and disposal of excavated material poses risks of increased sedimentation, potential water contamination, reduced water clarity, and decreased habitat quality. 

Why We Should Be Concerned 

rPlus Hydro has no real world verification or proof of concept. To date, rHydro has never completed a Pumped Storage Project, let alone an open-loop system. Though models can help estimate the environmental effects once the project is up and running, there is no way to measure the effects to our water and wildlife during the 5 year construction phase. From its conception, SPSP has flown largely under the radar- this is intentional on rHydro’s end. rHydro sees no value in our resources, but instead sees our backyard as a location on a map that they can turn a profit on. Our backyard is rPlus Hydro’s guinea pig. Only we can stop the SPSP.