Fife Brook Dam + 
Bear Swamp Pump Storage

• First online: 1974

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• Reservoir: It covers 88 acres, storing about 1.7 billion gallons at an elevation of 1,600 feet above sea level, 770 feet higher than the lower reservoir.  

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• Generation type: Conventional hydropower 

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• Hydropower type: Pump storage, during the day when the price of power is cheaper Bear Swamp pumps water from the Fife Brook reservoir up into its own. During peak power consumption hours of the day (typically at night) the upper reservoir will be released back down generating power which can be sold at a high price per MWH than it was pumped up for. The facility can pump water at 8,800 CFS and release it at 10,760 CFS. 

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• Output: The Bear Swamp facility has 2 Francis turbines which output 633 megawatts of power. 

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• Origins: the original intent for the pump storage facility was to act like a battery for the now decommissioned nuclear power plant which was located adjacent to the facility.

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• The entire facility including the turbines are inside of the mountain which the reservoir sits atop. The space is about 10 stories in high and features an entire crane to assist with maintenance.