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Welcome to The Water Wire, a snapshot of all water power funding opportunities, upcoming events, and recent news. This month’s newsletter takes approximately 5 minutes to read.
Reach out to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) at with any inquiries or suggestions. Follow the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation’s (CMEI) X, Facebook, and LinkedIn channels for news, announcements, and water power content. Connect with CMEI's Energy Technology Pillar through it's new LinkedIn account.
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Did You Know?
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is identifying existing dams that could support hydropower without compromising the purposes they already serve. These non-powered dams (NPDs) are a key component in the daily work of water resources engineer Carly Hansen.
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Water Power Announcements and Features |
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H2O has conducted studies, engaged with industry stakeholders to understand testing needs, and launched a new testing program to better understand and further the state of hydropower testing in the United States. Through these efforts, H2O has uncovered common roadblocks and begun to develop solutions that will help improve American hydropower stability and reliability.
DOE’s H2O and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education announced 10 participants have been selected for the fall 2026 cohort of the Marine Energy Fellowship. nine participants will join the Graduate Student Track while the remaining fellow will be on the Post-Graduate Track. The fellows will work with mentors from industry partners and DOE National Laboratories to advance their research in understanding and developing marine energy resources to support American energy dominance.
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RFI: NAWI has issued an RFI to guide future investment in regional water systems. Seeking input from water stakeholders, including a range of municipal and industrial water users, consulting engineering firms, and non-profit organizations, the RFI asks for specific information regarding potential regional water-system studies, the necessary modeling and analytics tools or methods to conduct such studies, and the types of support NAWI can provide to maximize their impact. The deadline to submit a response is Sept. 9, 2026.
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RFP: The DOE-funded NAWI has issued an RFP to advance industrial water reuse. The opportunity supports NAWI’s mission to secure U.S. water supplies by reducing the cost and energy required for desalination and reuse. The RFP focuses on accelerating the development and deployment of onsite, small-scale, and distributed water reuse systems for a variety of American industries. Proposals are due Sept. 15, 2026.
Inspired by his mother, who never saw a volunteer opportunity she didn’t jump at, Curt Jawdy combines a drive to make the world a better place with water and modeling expertise to serve the Tennessee Valley region with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Read about Curt’s career, what goes into managing a river system, and how he wants to support the next generation of American hydropower workers.
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The National Laboratory of the Rockies' (NLR) Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) is funded by H2O and uses energy from waves to desalinate water. Since 2024, researchers at NLR have worked to improve HERO WEC’s initial design and are now implementing results from their latest tests where the device performed better than expected.
Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) has launched a new game that turns hydropower science into an interactive learning tool designed to educate and intrigue the next generation of water power workers. Developed alongside DOE and NLR, the Hydropower Market Game is a technology-drive learning tool that immerses students in the fast-moving, strategic world of modern hydropower.
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See H2O at These Events
Sept. 21–25, 2026, Phoenix, AZ
Join H2O at Clean Currents, the official water power trade show and conference of the National Hydropower Association. H2O and National Laboratory staff will be available to discuss the latest updates in the hydropower and marine energy industries at the DOE booth located on the main event floor. H2O and National Laboratory staff will also participate in a variety of sessions throughout the conference.
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The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) published a report that addresses the need to modernize irrigation infrastructure in the Western United States. Upgrading these systems, some of which are more than a century old, can improve water availability, quality, and even enable new hydropower generation opportunities. The report highlights both the challenges and opportunities of modernizing these water systems.
NLR published an addendum to its 2024 NREL Hydropower Supply Chain Gap Analysis report, which studied and revealed supply chain vulnerabilities for the American hydropower sector. The addendum focuses on supply chain vulnerabilities surrounding Large Power Transformers (LPTs), which are critical for connecting U.S. hydropower facilities to the grid. The report addresses challenges in the installation and acquisition of LPTs and suggests solutions to hurdles that include bolstering American manufacturing capabilities.
A PNNL report detailed a collaborative project between Great River Hydro (GRH) and the Lab, which evaluated the accuracy and effectiveness of commercial inflow forecasting tools. These tools, invaluable for modern hydropower operations, make predictions such as the volume, timing, and rate of water entering a hydropower facility. The project’s first phase focused on PNNL’s analysis of two commercial inflow forecasting tools to determine which tool would be most impactful to GRH. The project’s second phase will focus on developing scheduling strategies that identify optimal windows to adjust operations and maximize market revenue for GRH.
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