WPTO Awards $8 Million to Strengthen Hydropower’s Grid Impact

DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy sent this bulletin at 06/08/2022 10:00 AM EDT

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Water Power Technologies Office

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Welcome to Hydro Headlines, a monthly snapshot of hydropower news and happenings. This month’s newsletter takes approximately four minutes to read. 

Reach out to us at WaterPowerTechnologiesOffice@ee.doe.gov with any inquiries or suggestions.
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Did You Know?

Nearly every U.S. state generated hydropower in 2021, and Washington ranked first in hydropower generation (with 70.4 million kilowatt-hours).

Follow along on the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook channels for more #WaterWednesday content each week.

Announcements & Opportunities

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WPTO Awards $8 Million in Funding for Projects to Increase Hydropower Flexibility: The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) announced $8 million in funding to support projects that will improve the flexibility of the U.S. hydropower fleet and enhance electric grid reliability. These projects will strengthen hydropower’s ability to support an evolving electric grid that includes an increasing amount of variable renewable energy sources.

Funding Announced for Small Businesses Leading Hydropower Projects: DOE recently announced more than $2 million in funding for 13 water power projects, including five specific to hydropower. These projects were funded as part of DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program, which aims to inspire innovation among small businesses.

WPTO Announces 2023 Hydropower Collegiate Competition Teams: In its first year, the Hydropower Collegiate Competition provides a platform for students to develop unique solutions to complex challenges related to hydropower’s ability to enable a 100% clean energy grid. The 2023 competition cohort comprises 11 teams of students representing various regions of the United States.

DOE Awards $3.6 Million Towards Equity and Diversity in Clean Energy: DOE announced Phase One selections for the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, an effort intended to spur inclusivity and entrepreneurship in clean energy in historically underserved communities. Selected projects will move on to Phase Two, where they will have one year to implement their proposals and compete for part of the $1.5 Million cash prize pool..

Products & Publications

New WPTO Report Outlines Innovations for Pumped Storage Hydropower: Through its Hydropower and Water Innovation for a Resilient Electricity System (HydroWIRES) Initiative, WPTO released a report examining routes to continue optimizing pumped storage hydropower. The report details the current state of PSH technology, the latest trends in plant design, and an assessment of proposed new PSH concepts.

Alternative Opportunities for Hydropower Webinar Recording: WPTO recently hosted a webinar to discuss hydropower’s benefits beyond conventional power delivery. A cross-lab team from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory discussed how hydropower can support economic, environmental, and social goals, such as irrigation modernization or environmental restoration. Watch the full recording to learn more about the unique benefits of hydropower.

Upcoming Events

WPTO Hydropower Program Peer Review

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July 25–29, 2022, Online

The Peer Review process provides stakeholders an opportunity to voice their feedback and provide recommendations on WPTO initiatives, including those in the Hydropower Program. The Peer Review sessions are organized by activity area and will span four days of virtual presentations from hydropower project leads. Register for the sessions you’d like to attend.

In Case You Missed It

National Lab Releases Report on Non-Powered Dam Retrofitting: Oak Ridge National Laboratory released the Non-Powered Dam Retrofit Exemplary Design Report to inform future decisions surrounding retrofitting practices. This report aims to increase industry knowledge of non-powered dam retrofit challenges and opportunities. Read the full report to see how Oak Ridge National Laboratory experts are shaping the future of non-powered dam retrofit projects.

WPTO/DOE in the News

Hydro in the Headlines