Upcoming Deadlines
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 Aug. 14, 2024.
Announcements
WPTO has opened a nearly $5 million funding opportunity to support programs that accelerate the commercialization and adoption of water power systems and solutions. The opportunity will support programming and services for entrepreneurs and small businesses in hydropower and/or marine energy. Applicants must submit a concept paper by 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 7, 2024, to be eligible to submit a full application.
WPTO launched the first phase of HyTN, which aims to connect hydropower technology developers to testing capability providers. WPTO is seeking test facilities interested in joining the network and working with developers to test their technologies with the goal of advancing them toward commercialization. Interested facilities should submit applications by Aug. 8, 2024.
Following a 2022 analysis of challenges facing the domestic hydropower supply chain, WPTO engaged the hydropower community for input on strategies to secure and encourage domestic manufacturing. Stakeholder discussions and inputs centered on five perceived gaps in the domestic hydropower supply chain. Stakeholders also provided input on proposed remedies for these perceived gaps. Learn more about this input, which will guide DOE's strategies to strengthen the domestic hydropower supply chain.
|
DOE and the Department of Treasury hosted a webinar on the Inflation Reduction Act's domestic content guidance. The session covered the latest guidance, new safe harbor provisions, and collaborative efforts between the agencies. Expert speakers discussed the domestic content bonus, upcoming resources, and how to access and monetize the provision through Treasury's processes.
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a new resource, the Hydropower Knowledge Sharing and Succession Planning Toolkit, to help hydropower organizations smoothly transition knowledge to new workers. The WPTO-funded resource was created to address the needs of the evolving hydropower workforce, which is experiencing high rates of retirement and an influx of workers new to the industry, creating potential for organizational knowledge loss. The toolkit guides hydropower organizations through a five-step process that helps them effectively evaluate the risk of knowledge loss, initiate succession planning strategies, and foster a culture of knowledge sharing.
WPTO and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) opened a technical collaboration opportunity for industry to develop innovative hydropower technologies using advanced materials and manufacturing. Selected participants will gain access to DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility to validate and refine untested ideas that could enhance the performance and sustainability of hydropower technologies. Interested applicants must submit a brief concept abstract, and proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are expended.
WPTO announced more than $1.7 million for more than two dozen projects at national labs, including 16 focused on hydropower, to advance water power technologies and their roles in achieving both national and local clean energy goals. These projects, referred to as "seedlings," are funded under WPTO's Seedlings and Saplings program, which encourages and supports new and innovative research ideas at DOE national laboratories.
DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations announced a notice of intent to provide up to $100 million for pilot projects in non-lithium long-duration energy storage. This initiative, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to advance diverse energy storage technologies, ensuring grid reliability and supporting a net-zero emissions future. DOE anticipates releasing a funding solicitation in late summer or early fall.
Project Updates and Stories
A new report from the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme on Hydropower discusses the potential need for long-duration energy storage using data from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. With contributions from researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and ORNL, the report explores the frequency and duration of extreme wind and solar resource droughts and uses this information to identify potential long-duration storage needs, which hydropower and other flexible resources could help meet.
A major challenge for hydropower is how to meet growing energy demand while mitigating environmental impacts. Research from WPTO's Water Innovation for a Resilient Electricity System (HydroWIRES) Initiative investigates ways to plan water releases to support both energy and environment objectives, thus reducing the environmental impact of hydropower facilities and supporting power generation.
|
Over the past 50 years, U.S. hydropower facilities have faced growing environmental and regulatory pressures, potentially limiting total electricity generation. A recent study from a team of ORNL researchers finds that capacity factors at 80% of U.S. plants have decreased since 1980, indicating a 23% decline in cumulative generation. Non-climatic factors, such as equipment deterioration and operational changes, play significant roles.
ORNL's Natalie Griffiths was recently appointed to serve as vice president of The Society for Freshwater Science. Griffiths was appointed by the society's newly elected president, Sally Entrekin, an associate professor at Virginia Tech. Their leadership terms begin this year.
Events
HAPPENING NOW! July 15–18, 2024, Denver, Colorado
Find WPTO and national laboratory staff at Hydrovision International 2024 in Denver, Colorado. The event brings together more than 1,200 hydropower stakeholders to discuss the state of the industry, trends, and solutions to current challenges. Visit WPTO at booth 521 to learn about the office, funding and other opportunities, and current R&D efforts.
July 24, 2024, 2–3 p.m. ET, Virtual
Join Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers to learn about new acoustic transmitters and sensors that will allow researchers to track the movements and life stages of fish species that have never been studied. This will advance understanding of fish migration, habitat use, fishway performance, and survival rates at hydropower facilities. Hear how these cutting-edge techniques inform management decisions for hydropower facilities and mitigation strategies to avoid or minimize environmental impacts to aquatic resources.
July 31, 2024, 2–4 p.m. ET, Virtual
WPTO is hosting the second of three Hydropower Environmental and Industry R&D Summit talks. This talk will focus on river connectivity and hydropower operations to clarify the challenge space facing hydropower stakeholders as presented by industry and others. Attendees will also hear from practitioners and researchers on the state of the science and how that science can address industry's challenges.
Aug. 22, 2024, 12:30–2 p.m. ET, Virtual
Join experts from WPTO for a discussion on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Hear about where they see potential benefits and uses of these tools in the hydropower and marine energy sectors and where they may already be in use!
In Case You Missed It
DOE announced the winners of the Collegiate Track in the American-Made Community Energy Innovation Prize. In the prize's IMPACT phase, the three winning student-led teams demonstrated how their projects brought the benefits of clean energy to underserved communities with measurable impacts. The teams' community partners were awarded a total of $100,000 for the IMPACT phase. The prize, part of the Justice40 Initiative, is designed to build trust, strengthen relationships and partnerships, and support underserved communities in their clean energy transitions.
At its latest semiannual stakeholder webinar in May 2024, WPTO highlighted funding, technical collaboration opportunities, and prizes, along with recent accomplishments. Read a summary of and view a recording of the webinar, which featured insights on these opportunities and more from WPTO Acting Director Matthew Grosso and EERE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Marootian.
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
-
Facilities Invited To Join New Hydropower Testing Network, NREL, Brittany Enos, July 2, 2024
-
5-Step Plan To Support Smooth Transitions in the Hydropower Workforce, Clean Technica, Staff Writer, July 1, 2024
-
DOE Awards $7.4 Million for Sandia National Laboratories Energy Projects, Offshore Engineer, Staff Writer, June 30, 2024
-
A Five-Step Plan To Support Smooth Transitions in the Hydropower Workforce, NREL, Tiffany Plate, June 28, 2024
-
US DOE's Nearly $5M Grant To Boost Small Businesses in Hydropower and Marine Energy, Offshore Energy, Zerina Maksumic, June 27, 2024
-
Water Power Technologies Office Launches Hydropower Testing Network, International Water Power and Dam Construction, Staff Writer, June 27, 2024
-
With Rivers Across the West Running Low, Utilities Get Creative, Canada’s National Observer, Syris Valentine, May 15, 2024
|
