how will hydropower continue to be important?
The days of Hoover and Glen Canyon Dam are over in the United States. People are now aware of the extreme ecological damage caused by building large dams and are now looking for new locations to continue the use of hydroelectricity throughout the United States. Above is a document published by the National Hydropower Association that highlights the great opportunities for hydropower in retrofitting existing infrastructure or adding the technology to non-powered dams.
GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT
While the United States government has not prioritized new environmental policies, there has been action to promote the development of small hydropower throughout the nation. President Barack Obama has passed several bills, as have many Senators in their respective states. Below is a description of bill H.R 267 and H.R 678, both of which promote the development of small hydropower in Colorado:
Senate Passes Small Hydro Reform Bills
President Expected to Sign Bipartisan Bill to Accelerate Small Hydro Development
Telluride, CO (August 1, 2013) –
The Colorado Small Hydro Association (COSHA) praised the US Senate for unanimously approving small hydropower permitting reform legislation. The bills, H.R. 267, the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, and H.R. 678, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act, now head to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature. The House of Representatives completed action on the bills earlier in the year, passing them with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“Federal permitting requirements for non-controversial small hydro projects have been crushing the small hydro industry for decades,” said COSHA President Kurt Johnson. “This new legislation to cut federal red tape is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to the small hydro industry. Congratulations to Colorado’s Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Denver), who introduced HR 267, and Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Cortez), who introduced HR 678, for their leadership on this common sense legislation which will lead to development of new small hydro installations and job creation in Colorado.”
H.R. 267 promotes the development of small hydropower and conduit projects and aims to shorten regulatory timeframes of low-impact hydropower projects, such as adding power generation to the nation’s existing non-powered dams and closed-loop pumped storage.
H.R. 678 expedites small hydropower development at existing Bureau of Reclamation-owned canals, pipelines, aqueducts, and other manmade waterways.
Current federal permitting requirements for small hydro projects are time-consuming and costly. For smaller systems, the cost of permitting can exceed the cost of the hydro equipment, which has been a barrier to small hydro development for decades.
The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act solves this problem by creating a “regulatory off-ramp” from FERC permitting requirements for non-controversial hydro projects on existing conduits such as pipelines and canals which are less than 5-megawatts.
Studies conducted in recent years concluded that there is tremendous untapped U.S. hydropower growth potential. Navigant Consulting found that 60,000 MW of hydroelectric capacity could be built by 2025, with the right policies in place. Over one million cumulative jobs could be created in pursuit of that goal. The Department of Energy recently found over 12,000 MW of untapped potential at the nation’s existing non-powered dams.
Colorado currently has hundreds of hydro-related jobs, a number that has the potential to grow rapidly. The National Hydropower Association has estimated 5.3 jobs created per megawatt of new hydro construction. COSHA estimates approximately 200 MW of potential new hydro development in Colorado, which would mean approximately 1,000 new jobs created in Colorado, including jobs for developers, engineers, attorneys and financiers as well as concrete workers, plumbers, carpenters, welders and electricians.
“Here in Colorado we are blessed to have leaders in Congress that understand that expediting small hydro development will lead to development of new, clean energy generation and create new jobs -- particularly in rural areas. I am pleased that this common-sense, bipartisan hydro reform legislation will finally be signed into law,” added COSHA President Kurt Johnson.
*The information above is courtesy of the Colorado Small Hydro Association*
Below is an article published on April 29, 2014 by the U.S Department of Energy that discusses a recent federal report that found major potential hydropower growth in the U.S.
WASHINGTON – Building on the Obama Administration’s commitment to an all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department and its Oak Ridge National Laboratory released a renewable energy resource assessment today detailing the potential to develop new electric power generation in waterways across the United States. The report estimates over 65 gigawatts (GW) of potential new hydropower development across more than three million U.S. rivers and streams – nearly equivalent to the current U.S. hydropower capacity. These findings demonstrate one of the ways the United States can further diversify its energy portfolio with sustainable and clean domestic power generation.
“The United States has tremendous untapped clean energy resources and responsible development will help pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable and diverse energy portfolio,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “As the Energy Department works with industry, universities and state and local governments to advance innovative hydropower technologies, the resource assessment released today provides unparalleled insight into new hydropower opportunities throughout the country.”
Hydropower makes up seven percent of total U.S. electricity generation and continues to be the United States’ largest source of renewable electricity, avoiding over 200 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year. Hydropower also provides reliable baseload power day and night – providing greater flexibility and diversity to the electric grid and allowing utilities to integrate other renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
The New Stream-reach Development Assessment released today capitalizes on recent advancements in geospatial datasets and represents the most detailed evaluation of U.S. hydropower potential at undeveloped streams and rivers to date. The greatest hydropower potential was found in western U.S. states, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wyoming led the rest of the country in new stream-reach hydropower potential.
The hydropower resource assessment also analyzed technical, socioeconomic and environmental characteristics that will help energy developers, policymakers and local communities identify the most promising locations for sustainable hydropower facilities. The assessment includes stream- and river-specific information on local wildlife habitats, protected lands, water use and quality and fishing access areas.
The New Stream-reach Development Assessment builds on a 2012 Energy Department assessment that found over 12 GW of hydropower potential at the nation's existing 80,000 non-powered dams. The results of the resource assessment released today show that there are still many opportunities to develop new hydropower projects around the country, most of which would likely be smaller, run-of-river facilities that could utilize new low-impact designs and technologies.
*The article above is courtesy of the U.S Department of Energy.*
GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT
While the United States government has not prioritized new environmental policies, there has been action to promote the development of small hydropower throughout the nation. President Barack Obama has passed several bills, as have many Senators in their respective states. Below is a description of bill H.R 267 and H.R 678, both of which promote the development of small hydropower in Colorado:
Senate Passes Small Hydro Reform Bills
President Expected to Sign Bipartisan Bill to Accelerate Small Hydro Development
Telluride, CO (August 1, 2013) –
The Colorado Small Hydro Association (COSHA) praised the US Senate for unanimously approving small hydropower permitting reform legislation. The bills, H.R. 267, the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, and H.R. 678, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act, now head to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature. The House of Representatives completed action on the bills earlier in the year, passing them with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“Federal permitting requirements for non-controversial small hydro projects have been crushing the small hydro industry for decades,” said COSHA President Kurt Johnson. “This new legislation to cut federal red tape is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to the small hydro industry. Congratulations to Colorado’s Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Denver), who introduced HR 267, and Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Cortez), who introduced HR 678, for their leadership on this common sense legislation which will lead to development of new small hydro installations and job creation in Colorado.”
H.R. 267 promotes the development of small hydropower and conduit projects and aims to shorten regulatory timeframes of low-impact hydropower projects, such as adding power generation to the nation’s existing non-powered dams and closed-loop pumped storage.
H.R. 678 expedites small hydropower development at existing Bureau of Reclamation-owned canals, pipelines, aqueducts, and other manmade waterways.
Current federal permitting requirements for small hydro projects are time-consuming and costly. For smaller systems, the cost of permitting can exceed the cost of the hydro equipment, which has been a barrier to small hydro development for decades.
The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act solves this problem by creating a “regulatory off-ramp” from FERC permitting requirements for non-controversial hydro projects on existing conduits such as pipelines and canals which are less than 5-megawatts.
Studies conducted in recent years concluded that there is tremendous untapped U.S. hydropower growth potential. Navigant Consulting found that 60,000 MW of hydroelectric capacity could be built by 2025, with the right policies in place. Over one million cumulative jobs could be created in pursuit of that goal. The Department of Energy recently found over 12,000 MW of untapped potential at the nation’s existing non-powered dams.
Colorado currently has hundreds of hydro-related jobs, a number that has the potential to grow rapidly. The National Hydropower Association has estimated 5.3 jobs created per megawatt of new hydro construction. COSHA estimates approximately 200 MW of potential new hydro development in Colorado, which would mean approximately 1,000 new jobs created in Colorado, including jobs for developers, engineers, attorneys and financiers as well as concrete workers, plumbers, carpenters, welders and electricians.
“Here in Colorado we are blessed to have leaders in Congress that understand that expediting small hydro development will lead to development of new, clean energy generation and create new jobs -- particularly in rural areas. I am pleased that this common-sense, bipartisan hydro reform legislation will finally be signed into law,” added COSHA President Kurt Johnson.
*The information above is courtesy of the Colorado Small Hydro Association*
Below is an article published on April 29, 2014 by the U.S Department of Energy that discusses a recent federal report that found major potential hydropower growth in the U.S.
WASHINGTON – Building on the Obama Administration’s commitment to an all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department and its Oak Ridge National Laboratory released a renewable energy resource assessment today detailing the potential to develop new electric power generation in waterways across the United States. The report estimates over 65 gigawatts (GW) of potential new hydropower development across more than three million U.S. rivers and streams – nearly equivalent to the current U.S. hydropower capacity. These findings demonstrate one of the ways the United States can further diversify its energy portfolio with sustainable and clean domestic power generation.
“The United States has tremendous untapped clean energy resources and responsible development will help pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable and diverse energy portfolio,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “As the Energy Department works with industry, universities and state and local governments to advance innovative hydropower technologies, the resource assessment released today provides unparalleled insight into new hydropower opportunities throughout the country.”
Hydropower makes up seven percent of total U.S. electricity generation and continues to be the United States’ largest source of renewable electricity, avoiding over 200 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year. Hydropower also provides reliable baseload power day and night – providing greater flexibility and diversity to the electric grid and allowing utilities to integrate other renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
The New Stream-reach Development Assessment released today capitalizes on recent advancements in geospatial datasets and represents the most detailed evaluation of U.S. hydropower potential at undeveloped streams and rivers to date. The greatest hydropower potential was found in western U.S. states, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wyoming led the rest of the country in new stream-reach hydropower potential.
The hydropower resource assessment also analyzed technical, socioeconomic and environmental characteristics that will help energy developers, policymakers and local communities identify the most promising locations for sustainable hydropower facilities. The assessment includes stream- and river-specific information on local wildlife habitats, protected lands, water use and quality and fishing access areas.
The New Stream-reach Development Assessment builds on a 2012 Energy Department assessment that found over 12 GW of hydropower potential at the nation's existing 80,000 non-powered dams. The results of the resource assessment released today show that there are still many opportunities to develop new hydropower projects around the country, most of which would likely be smaller, run-of-river facilities that could utilize new low-impact designs and technologies.
*The article above is courtesy of the U.S Department of Energy.*
Along with continuing to develop small hydropower using existing dams and infrastructure, there is also great potential to install systems on irrigation ditches, water pipes and sewer drainages. Generally these systems would be considered microhydro, which means the energy production would be not be high and the initial investment might be high, however they are an environmental statement and capture clean energy that would otherwise be lost. Below is an excerpt from the Small Hydropower Handbook, published by The Colorado Energy Office that describes the several locations in which systems could be installed.