Catskill Center Opposed to the Proposed Premium Energy Ashokan Pumped Storage Plan
Premium Energy Holdings, a company in California, recently submitted a proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to create a pumped storage hydroelectric plant utilizing the Ashokan Reservoir as its lower reservoir and proposed 3 upper basin alternatives, all with significant impacts to natural resources, public lands, and communities. This plan was submitted with no input from New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation, or from local leaders and stakeholders. While the Catskill Center supports clean energy initiatives, we are opposed to this project.
As the maps below indicate, the plan would call for the creation of additional dams, reservoirs, and tunnels in surrounding areas, which would threaten homes, local infrastructure, water quality, and natural habitats on public and private lands. Recreational use of the land, tourism, and local economies would be impacted, as well.
While we are supportive of renewable energy generation opportunities, this project is ill-conceived and does not take into account a number of barriers to its implementation including the NYC water supply, NYS Forest Preserve Lands, and the presence of communities within areas where upper basins are proposed. Our comments will speak to those barriers, and the reasons why this project should not move forward.
Catskill Center Request to Intervene and Comment Letter:
Catskill Center Comment Letter
File a public comment on project (Docket # P-15056)
For more information:
FERC Filing - Docket Number P-15056-000
Daily Freeman Article from 2/19/21
Additional resources from the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (ASWMP)
The reservoir locations shown on the maps are based on the dam crest and water surface elevations provided in the proposal by Premium Energy Holdings. In the case of Wittenberg and Woodland reservoirs, these maps match the maps in the proposal. Using the elevations given in the proposal, the Stony Clove map is quite different from the Premium Energy Holdings' depiction. The reason for the discrepancy is unknown.