New Power Plans for Old Indiana Coal Mines
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Dozens of abandoned coal mines dot the southern Indiana landscape as utility companies increasingly move away from coal-fired power generation. But The Herald Bulletin reports researchers at IUPUI and Bloomington-based Carbon Solutions LLC have developed plans to use vacant mines for greener power production – hydroenergy.
The partners say they can utilize two reservoirs at different elevations to generate power. Water moving back and forth between the reservoirs passes through a turbine to produce power that can be converted to electricity.
“Our highest point is like 800 feet above sea level,” said Peter Schubert a professor of electrical and computer engineering at IUPUI and the director of the Lugar Center for Renewable Energy. “We don’t have much topography. Even in the southern part of the state, there are sharp hills, but they’re not tall.”
The technology behind pumped hydro storage is not new, but the publication says only recently has the idea of using dormant coal mines gained momentum.
Schubert and Carbon Solutions, a startup focusing on low-carbon energy research, having been working together to develop and refine the technology which would allow the mines to be converted.
The publication says one site of interest is the Gibson Generating Station near Owensville, which has neighboring mines that meet the criteria.
“What they’re interested in is, how can we develop new technologies that are actually co-located with those power plants so that those power plants can become more efficient?” said Kevin Ellett, co-founder and president of Carbon Solutions. “The idea is to save rate payers money by doing that.”
Read more about the innovative technology by clicking here.