Ludington Pumped Water Plant

The Ludington pumped water plant is a hydroelectric plant and reservoir in Ludington, Michigan. It consists of a reservoir 110 feet deep, 2.5 miles long, and one mile wide which holds 27 billion gallons of water. The reservoir is located on the banks of Lake Michigan. The powerplant consists of six reversible turbines that can generate 1872 Mw of electricity.

At night, during low demand for electricity, the pumps force water 363 feet uphill from the lake into the reservoir. The plant takes advantage of the natural steep sand dune landform of eastern Lake Michigan. During periods of peak demand water is released to generate power. Electrical generation can begin within 2 minutes.

This process helps level the load of coal-fired power plants on the grid. It also replaces the need to build natural gas peak power plants used only during high demand.