Yakama Power, the energy utility owned by its Native American tribe, turns to advanced rail energy storage.
Rail energy storage does not use water, unlike other energy projects such as pumped storage, which spills water through turbines from one reservoir to another.
Yakama Nation, with tribal land in Washington state, is considering a 500MW project. It would involve a motor pulling rocks up a hill on rails to generate energy. During peak hours they would slide down again using the motor.
The plans would cover power for 50 homes.
Ray Wiseman, general manager at Yakama Power, told Oregon Public Broadcasting: “Gravity is free. It’s out there. It’s a natural resource, just like wind and solar.”
The tribal council supports the renewable energy project, having given space in a closed part of the reservation for the endeavour.
It plans to build on an old dumpsite, which has already degraded and is not considered culturally sacred or sensitive to the environment, it said. It also plans to use existing rock pits on the reservation.
The tracks would have a modular design to avoid culturally sensitive areas, Wiseman said.
In the past, the Yakama Nation has opposed other energy projects, brought by private companies. For example, the Goldendale energy storage project, which was a pumped storage hydropower project. The developers claimed it would be able to power 500,000 homes.
A windfarm, which gained approval in November 2024, called Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center, was also opposed by the Yakama Nation. The developers claim they have been listening to the tribe’s concerns.
