The role of small-scale hydropower in the U.S
GOVERNMENT
On Feb 2, 1977 President Jimmy Carter reinforced his commitment to the environment. He presented his desire to build a cohesive energy policy, and stressed the importance of planning for the future. He assured that his energy program would emphasize conservation, support research on renewable energy, and legislation would be passed. He called for the American people to collaborate, sacrifice and cooperate for the greater good of the environment. This statement followed the Oil Crisis of 1973 which provided a wake-up call for many people that it was not sustainable to rely so heavily on oil (PBS). Bill McKibben, an avid environmentalist and founder of 350.org, has expressed that the American environmental movement is so far behind because of the poor political decisions beginning with President Ronald Reagan (A Fierce Green Fire). Politics and government involvement are everything when it comes to policy change and setting a certain precedent throughout the nation. WHY IS THERE NO REAL GOVERNMENT ACTION TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY? Big oil and coal companies. There is too much money behind the oil and coal industries that is also closely tied to politicians. The Green Party movement of the 1970s in Europe is an example of how difficult it is for a political party not to align itself with big industries such as oil and coal. There is simply too much potential profit. As Ozzie Zehner put it, “The sad fact is that alternative energy technologies have no such great potential within the context that Americans have created for them.” (Zehner, 169) In a survey sent to the Holderness School, asking whether they believed the government was providing enough support for renewable energy research and development, 62% believed the government was not doing enough. WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT DONE AND WHAT CAN THEY CONTINUE TO DO?
While there hasn't been a drastic policy shift towards curbing carbon emissions or reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, there have been several bills passed to support hydroelectric power in particular. - In 2005 Congress approved a tax credit for hydroelectric power, which put hydropower at an equal level with the other renewables that already had tax credits. -Obama has signed two bills that 1) encourage and incentivize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to design a two year license process for developing hydropower on already existing dams 2) quicker action on proposals for small hydro on dams owned by the U.S Bureau of Reclamation. (Pitt) While federal policy changes are greatly important, it is also important for state and local governments to incentivize the use of renewable energy and educate people. Ashley Pearl voiced how it is critical for influential communities to prioritize the use of renewable energy and show other cities and communities what is possible when it comes to environmental initiatives, pubic outreach, and the use of innovative technologies. Governments can continue to provide tax breaks for consumers producing or consuming renewable energy, supply funds to research more effective and efficient technologies, develop more cohesive education and outreach programs, crackdown on companies that are not aware of their carbon emissions, and create environmental standards for industries that must legally be met. |
WHY IS SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER COST EFFECTIVE?
It is widely known that renewable energy is expensive. People shy away from installing solar panels on their home because it is a huge investment and local governments typically prefer to see the funding go towards tangible improvements. Of all renewable energies, hydroelectric power is the most effective. There are several reasons for this: 1) Hydropower facilities have long life spans. The initial cost to build the site is great; however, there is little maintenance and the average life span is fifty years. As Mick Ireland said, "Hydropower is good because it will pay itself off over an extended period of time and there is not much maintenance so it is financially smart compared to other renewables." 2) There is very little maintenance required. 3) Hydropower can create electricity during peak demand, and can cut back generation when there is little demand. This assures that there is little energy waste. (Carless) "Whatever the upfront costs, a hydroelectric system will typically last a long time and is relatively maintenance free." (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse) Another situation that makes hydroelectric power financially appealing is that coal prices are rising dramatically because of the abundance of natural gas. Relying heavily on coal is dangerous environmentally and economically which means for many cities it will be cheaper to have their own energy supply and not be victim to price fluctuations of coal. Utility companies play an important role in the development of hydropower. It is common for utility companies to have a renewable energy portfolio, or standard, that they need to achieve. A certain percentage of the energy they buy and sell needs to be alternative energy. Of the many factors that go into deciding which alternatives to invest in, one of the main concerns is reliability. Customers want instant electricity and it is the utility's job to provide this electricity. Being the most reliable alternative energy, hydropower is often supported by large utility companies. Here is a sampling of questions a utility company must ask before investing in an energy source: - Is this project economically viable, is the energy reliable? - Will there be energy availible at times of peak demand? Peak demand varies depending on the time of the year and geographic location. (Gardner) |
Here is an example of a recent bill proposed by President Barack Obama to promote small hydro development. Curtesty of the Colorado Small Hydro Association:
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.
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.