Kleinschmidt Associates has announced its continued support and commitment to the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project located in Bell County, Kentucky, in collaboration with owner Rye Development.

Kleinschmidt has been working on the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project since 2022, providing preliminary design and regulatory support for the initial phases of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing process, as well as participating in joint agency and public meetings in 2023, and the initial phases of study plan development. 

A significant milestone in this collaboration occurred in March 2024 when Rye Development became one of five organizations selected to receive Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding as part of the DOE’s Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land. Kleinschmidt traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this year to participate in a team interview leading up to the OCED grant selection.

The Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project will be one of the first pumped storage hydropower facilities constructed in the US in more than 30 years, and the first to be built on former mine land.

“Kleinschmidt is honored to be part of the Rye Development team that helped obtain this important funding from OCED”, said Lesley Brotkowski, Project Manager with Kleinschmidt, “The Lewis Ridge Project provides an exciting opportunity to provide clean energy storage, while repurposing former mine lands and creating positive benefits for the local economy.”

“This project is not only a significant investment in Kentucky; it’s an investment in strengthening our national electricity grid, helping to secure our energy future,” added Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development. “The Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project will protect against blackouts and brownouts, while transforming a former mining site into a long-term economic engine for the region.”

The project team is composed of numerous firms, including Kleinschmidt, that will assist with efforts to move the project forward in 2024, supporting Rye Development with study development, stakeholder outreach, and the development of license application documents.

The Lewis Ridge project will create approximately 1,500 construction jobs during the multiyear construction period and provide increased revenue for local businesses and government.

Aerial view of Lewis Ridge site in Bell County, Kentucky, US