Notes on the climate: Pumped-storage power plants – a proven technology for a green future?

The future form of the energy supply against the background of European energy and climate policies and the associated restructuring of power station units is a controversial issue, including the advantages and disadvantages of the building of new pumped-storage power stations. These are not power stations in the traditional sense. They store electricity in the form of potential energy which they can feed into the grid when needed. To do this water is pumped from a lower basin to an upper basin. To create electricity water is allowed to flow from the upper basin to the lower basin, driving turbines that generate the electricity. Opponents criticize the strong alterations of the landscape and the dangers for biodiversity but also for the groundwater. The proponents point to the major role played by energy storage for the planned expansion of renewable energy. This article provides insight into the role of pumped-storage plants against the background of the challenges of climate protection for the future energy supply.