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Every water power career is unique. But whether it started as a childhood dream or an interest discovered later in life, the passion is the same. WPTO spoke to several attendees at the National Hydropower Association’s Waterpower Week and asked what inspired their work in water.

Fourth Phase of Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize Announced: WPTO announced a fourth phase in the Hydropower Operations Optimization (H2Os) Prize that will take place this October at the National Hydropower Association’s Clean Currents Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. The prize incentivizes innovative approaches for optimizing hydropower operations in a realistic, simulated scenario with respect to physical and environmental constraints of the water system, revenue, emissions, and other goals.

Phase 4 is open to past H2Os Prize competitors and will challenge them to use modeling, data analytics, and machine learning to schedule hydropower operations, as in previous phases, but perform their work during a live, in-person event. Their strategies will be scored in real time, and at the end of the three-day event, winning teams will share in an $85,000 prize pool. Learn more about the H2Os Prize.

DOE Report Emphasizes Hydropower’s Role in the Clean Energy Transition: DOE’s Office of Policy published “On the Path to 100% Clean Electricity,” a report that outlines 10 key actions that the United States can take to accelerate the safe and rapid expansion of clean electricity throughout the economy. The report emphasized the importance of hydropower as part of the clean electricity mix in achieving the goal of 100% clean electricity. The report also highlighted the need for continued investment in research, development, deployment, and demonstration to improve the cost and performance of hydropower technologies and to ensure resource adequacy and reliability in a fully decarbonized power system.

The Prospects for Pumped Storage Hydropower in Alaska: WPTO’s HydroWIRES Initiative recently published a report the potential for pumped storage hydropower (PSH) in Alaska. While working on the report, researchers found many suitable locations for large and small projects across the state. This information could provide insights for PSH developers, state energy agencies, and regulators.

DOE and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Partner to Modernize Irrigation Systems: The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Idaho National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and WPTO are working together to modernize an irrigation system in Fort Hall, Idaho. The project will use the IrrigationViz software to analyze data from the irrigation system and identify areas where modernization could be beneficial. The goal of the project is to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the system while also considering cultural and environmental impacts.

National Labs Test PSH Valuation Guidebook Methodology and Process: A five-lab consortium (comprising Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) issued two techno-economic case studies for the proposed Goldendale and Banner Mountain PSH projects. With these case studies, researchers sought to test the methodology and valuation process presented in the PSH Valuation Guidebook and provide users with illustrative examples of how the valuation methodology could be applied to analyze the value of PSH projects.

WPTO and the International Energy Agency Discuss Role of Hydropower in Clean Energy Transition: In May, WPTO met with the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme on Hydropower to discuss hydropower’s role in the clean energy transition, the benefits of international collaboration on clean energy, and recent U.S. policy and investment in clean energy. The group published a communiqué that shares some of the key topics discussed during the meeting, including faster deployment of hydropower solutions. The group also discussed how hydropower's unique characteristics, such as storage and flexibility, are crucial for integrating high levels of variable renewable energy into electricity systems worldwide.

DOE Announces Winners of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize: DOE announced six grand prize winners of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, which aims to foster a just and equitable clean energy future by investing in community-led innovation and entrepreneurship programs in areas historically underserved by federal funding. Each winning team will receive $250,000 to support their entrepreneurship, job-training, mentorship, and other solutions. DOE also announced plans for a second round of the prize, which will feature two tracks: one for community-based organizations, similar to the original prize, and a second for college students to identify and address issues in their communities related to the clean energy transition.

Experts Discuss Report on Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: WPTO’s Colin Sasthav and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Mirko Musa spoke to a writer from Civil Engineering Magazine about the recent Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities report. They discussed opportunities to fabricate hydropower components and provide for other operations and maintenance needs using advanced manufacturing and materials.

WPTO on LinkedIn — June 22, 2023

Mark Glick, a #CleanEnergyChampion, is on the front lines of the #CleanEnergy transition. With assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Glick and his Hawaiian partners are exploring ways to add even more renewable energy, including promising hydropower technologies, to their power grid—edging closer to their goal of generating 100% of Hawai’i’s electricity from renewable energy by 2045. 

Check out Mark’s story:  https://bit.ly/3JrfOsa