We consider a simple model of a pump-assisted hydroelectric facility operating in a market with time-varying but deterministic power prices and constant water inflows. The engineering details of the facility are described by a model containing several parameters. We present an algorithm for optimizing first the energy and then the profit produced by these plants. This algorithm allows us to describe the relationships between control trajectory and time, and between inflow and price. Remarkably, we see that under some reasonable choices of facility parameters and for power prices that are not extremely variable, the optimal profit operation of these facilities is not too different from their optimal energy operation, and the control is less affected by the price as the inflow rate increases. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.