The landscape footprint is huge, this type of equipment takes a lot, in size / materials / visual impact on the environnement. But that can be minimised, laws about industrial equipment out there in nature can be amended etc. And cf course, as already said here, require both water and elevation.

The alternative is supposedly simpler, actually pretty costly and high-tech, while nerd-rejoicingly elegant, with an even worse visual impact : molten salt reservoirs. While not applicable everywhere like pumped hydro that needs water and relief, molten salt tanks require lots of heat and relatively even grounds on a huge area. But that dispositive has such a pharaonic, simplistic disposition to it you cannot not love it.

Unfortunately, the Ouarzazate Noor experience in Morocco has proved it to be too costly and complex in a context where electricity is a competitive business where final price per kWh has actual importance for the end user, even on a state-sponsored project.

Energy has a cost. Visual, material, human… Financial.