pumped storage

American  

noun

1. a system for generating hydroelectric power for peak periods by pumping water from a lower to a higher reservoir during low-demand periods and then releasing it during peak periods.

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pumped storage British  

noun

1. (in hydroelectric systems) a method of using power at a period of low demand to pump water back up to a high storage reservoir so that it can be released to generate electricity at a period of peak demand

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Example Sentences

Drax, the owner of the hydro power station inside Ben Cruachan near Oban, had plans to expand its potential for pumped storage - a form of storing power by pumping water uphill when demand is low and there's excess supply of wind power, and then releasing water steeply downhill to generate power when demand goes up.

From BBC

These include four projects for pumped storage in Scotland - three of them new, one an expansion - and the humongous ScotWind plans to locate hundreds of fixed and floating wind turbines arrayed around the coast of Scotland.

From BBC

Without pumped storage, the greener grid will require a lot more battery storage, and that is not proving popular with those who live near planned sites.

From BBC

The recent editorial on energy and the drought causes me to suggest the study and hopefully use of pumped storage, which is the pumping of water back up over a dam to use in time of need — like night — for hydroelectric.

From Seattle Times

It’s called pumped storage, and it’s not a new concept.

From Los Angeles Times