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$430M To Upgrade Hydropower Fleet
The Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation’s (CMEI’s) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office announced it will resume negotiations to distribute nearly $430 million to 212 of America’s hydropower facilities as part of the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives program. Combined with private investments from the facilities, this effort will be a $2.8 billion boost for America’s hydropower fleet.
“American hydropower is a key component of this Administration’s vision for an affordable, reliable energy system,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) Audrey Robertson. By upgrading turbines, generators, spillways, and other equipment, these hydropower facilities can continue to operate well into the future. They will also be better equipped to meet local and regional power demands at an affordable price for American consumers.
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 Students from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo pose shortly after winning the 2026 Hydropower Collegiate Competition. Photo courtesy of Ryan Ingwersen, National Laboratory of the Rockies
Winners Announced in 2026 Hydropower Collegiate Competition
CMEI’s Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office announced winners in the 2026 Hydropower Collegiate Competition. DOE launched this effort in 2022 to address a wave of retirements among the hydropower workforce—students can gain experience in the hydropower industry while better understanding their possible career pathways. This year’s competition featured 14 student-led teams working to develop innovative solutions that would add power to non-powered dams, add pumped-storage hydropower to existing hydropower reservoirs, and develop in-conduit hydropower. Applications for the 2027 Hydropower Collegiate Competition are open until May 1, 2026.
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Funding Helps Increase Heating Efficiency in St. Paul
Through funding from CMEI’s Industrial Technologies Office, Caterpillar Inc. completed a successful demonstration of a first-of-its-kind, fuel-flexible combined heat and power generator set. This one-day demonstration at District Energy St. Paul provided heat to downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, and 1 megawatt of electricity to the plant simultaneously. While supplying both electricity and waste heat to the plant, Caterpillar achieved 41.5% electrical and 85% overall fuel efficiency.
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Assistant Secretary Discusses Supply Chains at Global Energy Summit
Assistant Secretary Robertson made an April 21, 2026, appearance at the Columbia Global Energy Summit in New York City. There, she participated in a panel on securing the U.S. workforce, innovating critical minerals processing, and fostering strategic cooperation between mineral producers, processors, and manufacturers, all important steps to secure the nation’s critical minerals supply chain.
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Deputy Assistant Secretary Discusses Supply Chain Security at Summit
Madeleine Bugel, CMEI’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Battery Strategy, attended the April 27, 2026, SAFE Summit in Washington, D.C., where she discussed the long-term challenges facing mineral security and secure critical mineral supply chains. The panel also explored the tools at our nation’s disposal to address issues that can break supply chains, including commodity price collapses and strategic manipulation by dominant producers.
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 Argonne Develops Testing Facility To Speed Heavy-Duty Vehicle Innovation
Assistant Secretary Robertson attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Argonne National Laboratory’s Heavy-Duty Vehicle Dynamometer Test Facility. The first-of-its-kind resource helps industry and government partners bring next-generation commercial vehicle technologies to market faster and with less risk. After the ribbon cutting, Assistant Secretary Robertson participated in a fireside chat to discuss how the lab can answer CMEI’s call for innovative solutions to our nation’s top energy challenges.
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