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📌 The Question:
Recently, the term “pumped-storage hydropower” is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following?

(a) Irrigation of terraced crop fields
(b) Lift irrigation of cereal crops
(c) Long-duration energy storage
(d) Rainwater harvesting system

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✅ Correct Answer: (c) Long-duration energy storage

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⚡ Lightning Classroom Explanation:

Pumped-Storage Hydropower (PSH) is not primarily about irrigation. It is about energy storage.

🔄 How it works (simple loop):

• When excess electricity is available (solar at noon, wind at night), water is pumped uphill to an upper reservoir.
• When electricity demand rises, the stored water is released downhill through turbines to generate power.

👉 Effectively, water becomes a giant battery.

This makes PSH the most mature and large-scale technology for long-duration energy storage, crucial for:

• Integrating renewable energy
• Grid stability
• Peak-load management

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🧠 Curiosity Raiser:
👉 Did you know? More than 90% of the world’s grid-scale energy storage capacity today is pumped-storage hydropower.

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📚 Enrich Notes (UPSC Edge):

• PSH supports solar–wind transition
• Identified as key in India’s National Electricity Plan
• Lifespan: 50–100 years
• Efficiency: ~70–80%
• Not dependent on rainfall timing like conventional hydro

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🕊️ IAS Monk Whisper:
“When sunlight sleeps and wind pauses, water remembers energy.”