Abstract: Pumped storage plays an important role in promoting optimal allocation of power generation resources and maintaining safe and stable operation of power grids. A reasonable pumped storage dispatch mode can maximize operating income and system benefits of operators. The United States has mature experience in electricity market mechanism and pumped storage dispatch modes. This paper mainly sorts out three dispatch modes of pumped storage in the American electricity market environment: selfdispatch, semi-dispatch and full-dispatch, while compares and analyzes the specific practices and application areas of optimization objectives, operation constraints and optimization benefits. Besides, this paper analyzes the differences and reasons of optimization results in the three dispatch modes through an example of joint dispatch of pumped storage and thermal power units in a given region. Finally, based on the summary of the pumped storage dispatch mode in the United States, this paper puts forward the enlightenment of the pumped storage dispatch mode in the electricity market environment in China.