Federal Register #Project No. 15419-000

Preliminary Permit for 1 GW Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project in Arizona (Navajo County)

This opportunity concerns a preliminary permit application for a major pumped storage hydroelectric project in Navajo County, Arizona: - Government Buyer: - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Department of Energy - OEMs and Vendors: - Nature and People First Arizona PHS, LLC (applicant and project developer) - Products/Services Requested: - Feasibility study for a 1.0 GW pumped storage hydroelectric facility - Major project components (for future development): - Upper reservoir (300 acres, 10,000 acre-feet) - Lower reservoir (300 acres, 10,000 acre-feet) - 30-foot-diameter, 12,000-foot-long concrete power conduit - Subterranean powerhouse with four 335,000 HP pump/turbines and four 250,000 kW generators - Four 16-foot-diameter, 500-foot-long draft tube tunnels - New transmission line (four alternative routes/voltages under consideration) - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Project is located on federal land managed by the Navajo Nation - Preliminary permit is for feasibility and priority in licensing, not for construction or equipment procurement - Large-scale renewable energy generation (approx. 3,120,750 MWh annually) - Public comment, intervention, and competing application period is open - No specific part numbers or purchase quantities at this stage, as this is a preliminary permit phase

Description

This notice announces the acceptance of a preliminary permit application from Nature and People First Arizona PHS, LLC for the Chilchinbeto Pumped Storage Project, a proposed 1.0 gigawatt pumped storage hydroelectric facility located in Navajo County, Arizona. The project includes construction of upper and lower reservoirs, a power conduit, a subterranean powerhouse with pump/turbines and generators, a lower power conduit, and a potential new transmission line with four alternatives. The project would occupy federal land managed by the Navajo Nation and have an estimated annual generation of 3,120,750 megawatt-hours. The notice invites comments, motions to intervene, and competing applications by July 27, 2026.

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