Did You Know?

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) has a playlist of videos on YouTube designed to help increase your knowledge about hydropower. Whether you want to see the latest WPTO-supported deployment or review the basics, WPTO’s video playlist has you covered.

WPTO Releases Its 2021–2022 Accomplishments Report: WPTO’s annual accomplishments report highlights notable hydropower achievements and successes from WPTO-supported projects at DOE national laboratories, companies, academic institutions, and other organizations across the country. The projects in the report range from helping fish pass safely through hydropower facilities to protecting hydropower plants from cyberattacks. These projects are just part of the work WPTO is doing to help ensure our clean energy grid is safe, reliable, and sustainable.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $3.7 Million to Deepen Relationships and Trust Among Key River and Hydropower Research and Development Parties: DOE announced $3.7 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support a project that aims to deepen relationships and trust between hydropower and river stakeholders. The project aims to help incorporate community priorities in hydropower research and development activities. These efforts will enhance and inform research and development needs for hydropower technologies and environmental mitigation efforts in DOE and the industry with the goal being to improve outcomes for tribes and disadvantaged communities in remote areas where hydropower and river restoration projects are often located.  

Participate in the Hydropower Vision Road Map: DOE, the Hydropower Foundation, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are leading an effort to build a road map for the future of hydropower as part of the Hydropower Vision project. The group is convening forums during which stakeholders identify activities that could contribute to flexible operations, safe dams, and sustainable approaches for hydropower. 

Women in Hydropower: Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) Women in Water Power series showcases the amazing people whose impactful work will help advance hydropower technologies and enable a clean energy future.

• Rocio Uria Martinez: Helping move the United States toward a clean energy economy is what gets Rocio Uria Martinez out of bed in the morning and motivates her work in assessing key trends in the hydropower industry. Watch the video to learn about her current work and advice she would give to future women in STEM.
• Kristine Moody: How do you create a clean energy economy while still being mindful of ecosystems and not harming biodiversity? This is the type of question Kristine Moody works to solve using her expertise in molecular ecology and passion for environmental sustainability. Watch the video and learn more about her work.
• Debjani Singh: With her knowledge in earth science and hydrology along with expertise in data science and management, Debjani Singh leads HydroSource, a digital one-stop resource that supports and enables hydropower research and development. Learn more about her work and what it means to Singh to be a woman in STEM. 

DOE Announces Funding for Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas: DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations announced a $300 million funding opportunity for projects that increase energy affordability and promote climate resilience and $15 million for a prize competition to help rural communities build the capacity needed for clean energy development and deployment. These opportunities are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program, which aims to improve the resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities with 10,000 or fewer people across the country. Concept papers for the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program funding opportunity are due by 5 p.m. ET on April 14, 2023, and submissions for the Energizing Rural Communities Prize are due by 5 p.m. ET on May 24, 2023.

DOE Announces Funding for Transitioning Tribal Colleges and Universities to Clean Energy: DOE’s Office of Indian Energy issued a notice of intent to release a $15 million funding opportunity this spring focused on installing clean energy technology at tribal colleges and universities. Awards are anticipated to range from $100,000 to $250,000 for planning grants or from $1 million to $3 million for deployment grants. View the full notice of intent on the Office of Indian Energy’s Funding Opportunity Exchange. 

WPTO Publishes Its 2022 Peer Review Report: WPTO released its 2022 Peer Review report, which details major takeaways from the office’s latest peer review, conducted in July 2022. The purpose of the peer review was to evaluate WPTO-funded projects for their contributions to the office’s mission and goals, progress against stated objectives, and the office’s overall management and performance. Takeaways from the peer review are used to inform programmatic decision making, enhance active project management, and modify or expand existing projects.

How Collegiate Competitions Expand Student Opportunities to Join the Renewable Energy Industry

March 24, 2023, 1–2 p.m. ET, Online

Join the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for an informational webinar and discussion about the DOE’s Hydropower Collegiate Competition, Marine Energy Collegiate Competition, and Collegiate Wind Competition, which are designed to help college students prepare for jobs in the renewable energy industry. During the webinar, competition organizers will provide an overview of the three competitions, invite attendees to discuss how NREL can help bolster participation of minority-serving institutions, and present opportunities for interested schools to get involved. A recording of the webinar will be shared after the event for those who could not attend live.

Register for the event.

WPTO Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar

April 4, 2023, 2:30–4 p.m. ET, Online

Join staff and leadership from WPTO to hear about how the office is working with partners across the country and beyond to achieve a clean energy future through water power projects. Dive into current and future funding opportunities and hear about other accomplishments, news, and updates since the last stakeholder webinar in November 2022.

Register for the event.

Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competitions at Waterpower Week 2023

May 7–10, 2023, Washington, D.C.

WPTO, NREL, the Hydropower Foundation, and the National Hydropower Association have partnered to bring 150+ students to the WPTO-funded Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competitions, which will take place alongside the conference, giving attendees the opportunity to meet the next generation of the water power industry. May 7–10, 2023, multidisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students will be in Washington, D.C., to present the results of their year-long projects to a panel of judges, participate in opening and closing ceremonies for the competition, and network with conference attendees. If you’re planning to attend Waterpower Week 2023, please take the time to meet the students and help inspire them to pursue a career in water power.

Register for the event.

WPTO on LinkedIn — March 3, 2023 

ICYMI: At last year's Water Power Technologies Office Peer Review, external stakeholders provided feedback on the most impactful use of taxpayer funding and developed recommendations for the most efficient and effective ways to accelerate industry development in water power technologies.