Upcoming Deadlines
- The deadline to submit full applications to the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations’ Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Fixed Award Grant Program is Oct. 12, 2023.
- The deadline to submit full proposals to WPTO and the Minority-Serving Institutions STEM Research and Development Consortium’s (MSRDC) funding opportunity focused on high-impact water power research ideas is Oct. 13, 2023. Applicants must have already submitted a concept paper.
- Applications to the GEM fellowship program, which offers academic year fellowships and summer work experiences to master’s and doctoral students from underrepresented backgrounds, are due Nov. 10, 2023.
- The deadline for submissions to the Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest is Nov. 17, 2023.
Looking for more detailed information on the latest funding opportunities and events related to water power? Subscribe to The Water Wire! Find the next issue in your inbox on Oct. 11, 2023.
Announcements
DOE Invests More Than $13 Million to Enhance Continued Deployment of Hydropower: DOE recently announced more than $13 million for seven research and development projects focused on advancing hydropower as a critical source of clean energy. This funding, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support the sustainable development of hydropower and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) by making new technologies more affordable, sustainable, and deployable. The funding will also support research and development efforts at organizations not extensively engaged with WPTO.
DOE Announces $6.3 Million in Environmentally Sustainable Hydropower With Research to Advance Fish Passage and Protection Technologies: DOE announced more than $6.3 million for six research and development projects to improve fish passage and protection technologies and reduce the environmental impacts of hydropower on species and ecosystems. Fish passage and protection technologies provide a way for fish to navigate barriers such as dams and impoundments and support river connectivity by enabling fish movement and migrations. These selections support an increasingly important role for hydropower in providing grid reliability as the United States transitions to a clean energy system with more variable resources like wind and solar.
WPTO Wants You to Make a Splash With Your Video and Photography Skills: WPTO launched its Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest to highlight the significance of water power technologies, including hydropower, in the nation's clean energy transition. This contest aims to visually show real-world water power technologies and the people contributing to and benefitting from them. Photographers and videographers of all skill levels—including professionals as well as everyday cellphone camera users—can submit their work across various categories for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $2,000. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 17, 2023.
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Project Updates and Stories
Latest Issue of Hydrolink Magazine Features WPTO Guest Editor: Erfaneh Sharifi, a senior water resources engineer at WPTO, served as the guest editor for the most recent edition of Hydrolink magazine. The publication features six articles that describe recent innovations in different aspects of hydropower. The articles discuss hydropower efforts in Europe and China as well as the expanded power generating potential of Francis turbines. The issue also contains an article on the development of a software tool for integrating detailed hydropower plant characteristics with water availability.
New Video Explains the Basics of PSH: PSH provides 93% of the United States' grid-scale energy storage. A reliable, resilient, and cost-effective energy storage system, PSH is a key player in the nation’s clean energy transition. Check out a new video from DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to learn how PSH works, why it’s important, and what researchers are doing to support its development.
On the Road With WPTO: From Sea to Shining Sea: Helping to accelerate the clean energy transition means WPTO staff must sometimes leave the lab (or office) and travel across the country to learn how they can best support industry, researchers, and citizens by meeting with them and hearing what they have to say. Learn about some of the efforts that have taken staff on the road this year.
Research Publications
Pumped Storage Hydropower Found to Be the Energy Storage Option With Fewest Emissions: NREL researchers completed a life cycle assessment of energy storage options and found that, of the technologies assessed, closed-loop PSH is the smallest emitter of greenhouse gases. In other words, closed-loop PSH systems rank as having the lowest potential to add to the problem of global warming for energy storage when accounting for the full impacts of materials and construction.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Explores How to Best Protect Fish at Hydropower Facilities: Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory explored a novel approach to guiding fish through hydropower facilities using a combination of mechanical barriers and electric fields. A new article in the journal Water highlights the potential benefits of this approach, including reducing fish injury and mortality in turbine environments. The study also identified the need for further research and refinement of the technology used to protect wildlife.
HydroWIRES Initiative Reports Detail How Hydropower Can Support a Clean, Sustainable, and Reliable Energy Grid: WPTO's HydroWIRES Initiative recently published several reports exploring topics related to PSH and energy and environmental priorities at hydropower facilities.
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Report Highlights the Value of Hydropower to the Electric Grid: The Hydropower Value Drivers report highlights the evolving dynamics in hydropower’s value within a changing electric grid. The report details how conventional hydropower resources may decrease in value to the electric grid while PSH resources increase in value as more renewable energy sources are integrated into the electric grid. These findings can help pave the way for optimizing hydropower operating strategies as the country transitions to a clean energy grid.
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Argonne and NREL Release Report Assessing Potential of PSH in Alaska: Argonne National Laboratory and NREL conducted a study that identified approximately 1,800 potential sites for closed- and open-loop PSH projects in Alaska. PSH facilities can store excess renewable energy and improve grid resiliency in the state's unique energy landscape. The study highlights PSH's potential to reduce carbon emissions and lower electricity costs and provides valuable insights for clean energy policies, regulations, and investment decisions in Alaska.
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Role of PSH Storage in a Variable Renewable Energy Grid: NREL published a report that explores PSH's role in integrating renewable energy sources as the United States works to transition to a clean energy grid. The report found that PSH maintains its capacity value over time, meaning that PSH facilities only lose a limited amount of storage capacity during their operating life.
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NREL Studies How Hydropower Can Help Integrate Renewable Energy into the Energy Grid: This study by researchers at NREL explores the role of hydropower in integrating variable renewable energy sources into the grid with a focus on reliability and flexibility. The report found that hydropower's flexibility plays a vital role in introducing variable renewable energy sources into the grid by providing firm generating capacity, the option for energy storage, and various economic benefits. The authors also found that restricting hydropower's flexibility could have various impacts, including higher energy prices and potential revenue losses for hydropower operators.
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Events
SBIR and STTR – Investing in Small Businesses for Technology Innovation and Commercialization
Sept. 27, 2023, 3–4 p.m. ET, Virtual
Join WPTO representatives to unpack the acronyms for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and learn how these programs can help bring concepts to market. Learn about the eligibility requirements for each (more organizations are eligible than one might think for STTR!) and hear about the experience from a successful applicant. The next phase of SBIR/STTR applications is slated to open in the late fall, so now is the perfect time to start preparing to apply.
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s STEMtember Sessions: Careers in Clean Energy
Join DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) this month for the EERE STEMtember Sessions: Careers in Clean Energy, a weekly webinar series highlighting EERE careers in renewable energy, sustainable transportation and fuels, buildings and industry, and business operations. Each two-hour webinar will feature EERE leaders and employees who will share their career journeys and explain why now is the most exciting time to be part of the clean energy revolution at DOE. Hear from hiring managers about the key duties and skills required for positions and how to apply to be a clean energy champion!
Meet WPTO Staff and Learn About Water Power Projects at Clean Currents
Oct. 10–13, 2023, Cincinnati, Ohio
WPTO and national laboratory staff will be in Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 10–13 for the National Hydropower Association's Clean Currents conference. Make sure to swing by booth 611 to catch a series of "flash talks," quick presentations on timely hydropower topics, and demonstrations presented by national laboratory representatives throughout the duration of the conference. WPTO and national lab representatives will be presenting in multiple places throughout the conference:
- Learn about the role of cybersecurity in hydropower during the Training, Outreach, and Recruiting for Cybersecurity in Hydropower (TORCH) workshop on Oct. 10.
- Celebrate the kickoff of the 2024 Hydropower Collegiate Competition with WPTO and national laboratory staff on Oct. 10.
- Catch WPTO Director Jennifer Garson during plenary sessions on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12.
- See the future of hydropower with the unveiling of the reimagined Hydropower Vision Roadmap.
- Don’t miss the H2Os Prize in-person competition on Oct. 11, and stick around for the awards on Oct. 12.
In Case You Missed It
Water Power Professionals Share Their Career Journeys: Everyone has a different journey to a career in water power. Some realize it is their passion from childhood while others find their love for the sector later on. Learn how two people found their career passion in water:
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Mirko Musa: Combining his childhood fascination with water and his desire to help reduce pollution, ORNL's Mirko Musa is studying ways to help advance water power. Currently, he is studying how river currents can power restoration, how ocean energy could generate clean hydrogen, and whether advanced manufacturing could help maintain and modernize the hydropower fleet.
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Maxine Hillman: From a young age, Maxine Hillman was creating worlds full of dragons, fairies, wizards, and knights in her backyard. Now, as a senior communications analyst and contractor at WPTO, she shares how water power can support a clean energy future through her work at national events and on explainer videos that translate complex research and science.
So, You Think You Know Hydropower: To celebrate National Hydropower Day on August 24, WPTO released a video that explores hydropower's role on today's and tomorrow's electricity grid. The video features WPTO's work with researchers, representatives from industry, and other stakeholders to chart the future of hydropower. Watch how WPTO is working alongside the hydropower industry to modernize existing infrastructure and develop new technologies to help integrate more renewable energy resources onto the grid.
Social Spotlight
WPTO on Facebook — Aug. 24, 2023
This #NationalHydropowerDay, the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is shining a light on the ways hydropower delivers #EnergyResilience, #CleanEnergyJobs, and more.
While hydropower's current footprint may be large, future facilities will be far less imposing than familiar ones like the Hoover Dam. Learn all about DOE's plans to capitalize on pipelines, irrigation canals, and dams to bring about the #CleanEnergy future.
Follow along on the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook channels for more water power content each week.
Making a Splash in the News
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Does Hydropower Have an Invisibility Problem?, NREL, Caitlin McDermott-Murphy, Sept. 13, 2023
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Why and How Should We Modernize U.S. Hydropower Facilities?, Global Renewable News, Staff Writer, Sept. 12, 2023
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NREL Study Highlights Closed-Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower as Climate-Friendly Grid-Scale Energy Storage Solution, World Energy via Water Power Magazine, Staff Writer, Sept. 5, 2023
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Advancements in Hydropower Technology and Research, Motor Mouth, Anna Maxted, Aug. 28, 2023
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