Rye Development is proud to announce that Erik Steimle, chief development officer, has been appointed to the National Hydropower Association (NHA) board of directors. This esteemed role reflects Erik’s extensive expertise, proven leadership, and deep commitment to advancing hydropower as a cornerstone of America’s clean energy future.

With decades of experience in developing both run-of-river and pumped storage hydropower projects, Erik has been instrumental in navigating complex regulatory landscapes, fostering local community partnerships, and driving innovative hydropower solutions. Born and raised in Oregon—where hydropower supplies 42% of the state’s electricity—Erik brings a unique perspective on the critical role hydropower plays in delivering affordable, reliable, carbon-free energy across the U.S.

Rye Development, the leading U.S. developer of pumped storage, is excited to announce it has submitted a Draft License Application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the 287-megawatt Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project. The energy storage facility in Bell County, Kentucky, will have the capacity to store electricity for up to eight hours and generate electricity to power 67,000 homes.

With $81 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rye Development aims to build the first pumped storage hydropower project on the site of a former mine to bolster the grid and revitalize the local economy.

With funding from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, the projects in Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania advance efforts to help with the energy transition. The administration said the clean energy projects will strengthen the country’s energy security while helping ensure mining communities continue playing a role in the energy economy.

Rye Development, the leading U.S. developer of pumped storage hydropower, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected the company to receive $81 million to advance its Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project. The project will convert former mine land in Bell County, Ky., into a closed-loop, 287-megawatt (MW) pumped storage hydropower facility, with the capacity to store electricity for up to eight hours and generate electricity to power 67,000 homes.

A giant energy storage project proposed for the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge cleared a significant hurdle. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff finalized an environmental impact statement that endorses the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, proposed for a site on the Washington side of the Columbia 110 miles upriver from Portland.

Green energy has a storage problem. Wind and sunshine are intermittent, which means they don't produce energy we can utilize at will. Sometimes the sun just doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, and other times we have an overabundance of both. This doesn't correspond to our own, fluctuating demand for energy, which is why we need to store more energy to balance our grid. Across the world, interest in pumped storage hydropower is booming.

A proposal from hydropower company Rye Development could see the site of a former coal mine in Bell County repurposed as a pumped energy storage hydropower facility. The company says it would invest $1.5 billion to the project and create 1,500 construction jobs. The facility would generate 287 megawatts of energy and would power 67,000 homes.

Closed-loop pumped storage hydropower is the cleanest technology for large-scale energy storage, according to an analysis conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Pumped storage systems such as the Swan Lake Energy Storage Project rank as having the lowest potential to add to the problem of global warming for energy storage when accounting for the full impacts of materials and construction.

Rye Development is pioneering a new type of renewable energy agreement that supports 24/7/365 carbon-free power for Iron Mountain Data Centers. The groundbreaking offtake agreement – the first of its kind in the hydropower industry – will speed the development of more than a dozen low-impact hydroelectric projects in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia over the next decade and help Iron Mountain move closer to achieving its sustainability goals.

When thousands of gallons of water flow through a dam, it generates a lot of force and power. But what happens when you harness that power? You could provide electricity to a community or two, of course.

Rye Development, a developer of low-impact renewable hydropower generation, will construct facilities at Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River, at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4, also known as Charleroi, and at the Allegheny River Locks and Dam 2.

On March 2, 2023, the Department of Energy announced a plan to invest $3.7 million to expand collaboration on the sometimes competing goals of maintaining hydropower as a key source of renewable energy while supporting communities and protecting the environment.

“This is a resource where infrastructure is already built, the dams are still being maintained, and they are not going away,” says Paul Jacob, Rye Development's chief executive. “So why not capture that energy and use it?”

An interview with Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development. With a pipeline of 25 projects across the US, Rye is committed to the responsible development of untapped hydropower resources while maintaining balance of the rivers’ environmental and commercial requirements, says Jacob. Through responsible energy development, Rye brings communities around the country substantial infrastructure, job creation, and a local source of renewable, non-consumptive energy.

Oregon’s mandate for 100% clean electricity by 2040 will be reenergized next year when construction begins on a crucial piece of the evolving power grid: A 300-acre “battery” 11 miles north of Klamath Falls. A $1 billion project in which two 60-acre reservoirs will confront the threat of drought and power outages in the West.

From growing kelp forests to making packaging out of mushrooms, these companies are reducing greenhouse gas emissions from every angle. Rye Development was one of seven companies featured in this article about green technology innovations.