Hydro Currents

DOE releases first-of-its-kind hydropower report

The U.S. Department of Energy announces availability of its 2014 Hydropower Market Report, the first ever report to quantify the size, scope and variability of hydropower supplies in the U.S.

America has more than 77 GW of untapped hydropower potential, the report indicates. By making use of existing water resources and infrastructure, the vast majority of http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/03/doe-army-interior-extend-partnership-for-hydroelectric-power-development.html new hydro projects built over the past decade have added electric generating equipment to dams that were previously not powered.

The report shows that within the past decade, the hydropower industry has supported more than 55,000 direct domestic jobs and helped offset 200 million metric tons of carbon emissions per year. It also highlights how hydropower can be rapidly integrated with other renewable energy sources into the electric grid — contributing to the Obama administration’s goal of doubling renewable energy supply again in the U.S by 2020.

“The report outlines the diversity of our nation’s hydropower fleet, shows its tremendous contribution to the U.S. clean energy mix and points to promising future growth,” said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency David Danielson. “Hydropower remains one of our nation’s most cost-effective and reliable sources of renewable energy and provides an important tool for boosting our clean energy supply.”

More than $6 billion has been invested throughout the past decade to strengthen the hydro fleet, the report indicates, and the manufacturing supply chain spreads across 38 states, with more than 170 companies producing one or more of six major components.

The report is available at http://energy.gov/eere/water/downloads/2014-hydropower-market-report.

FERC reports Ludington Pumped Storage ups capacity by 127.5 MW

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reports unit upgrades at the Ludington Pumped-Storage project, completed in March, increased project capacity by 127.5 MW to a total of 1,785 MW.

The Energy Infrastructure Update for March, compiled by FERC’s Office of Energy Projects, included the Ludington increase and an original license application for a Minnesota project.

Consumers Energy Co. and Detroit Edison Co. http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2012/07/ferc-approves-hydro.html received FERC approval in 2012 of a license amendment for 1,657.5-MW Ludington. The utilities http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/hr/print/volume-30/issue-4/articles/asset-management-determining-an-optimal-plan-for-an-upgrade-at-ludington.html upgraded the six generating units by replacing pump-turbine runners and rewinding motor-generators. The modifications increased each unit’s installed capacity by 21.25 MW.

FERC also received an application from Minneapolis Leased Housing Associates IV L.P. for an original license for the 600-kW A-Mill Artist Lofts Hydroelectric project. The project is to be located at the Pillsbury A Mill on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

The March 2015 update may be obtained at http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2015/mar-infrastructure.pdf www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2015/mar-infrastructure.pdf.

NYPA’s John Suloway earns Henwood Award

The National Hydropower Association recognized John Suloway as the 2015 recipient of its Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award, bestowed for a “lifetime of achievement” in the hydroelectric power industry.

Suloway, who recently retired after a 32-year tenure with the http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/02/nypa-hydroelectric-power-allocations-key-in-spurring-new-york-s-economy.html New York Power Authority, is described as a “giant in our industry,” according to a collective of industry leaders who nominated him.

“We are happy to see John’s contributions to the advancement of clean hydroelectric power get the national recognition it deserves with this great honor,” NYPA President and Chief Executive officer http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/04/quinones-elected-chair-of-electric-power-research-institute.html Gil Quiniones said. “It has been a privilege to have John on NYPA’s team … and we join NHA in saluting the profoundly beneficial impact he has had on our organization, New York State and the energy industry.”

“In honoring John Suloway with this well-deserved lifetime achievement award, the selection committee is recognizing a national leader of the hydropower industry,” NHA Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci said. “His determined work on licensing improvements and strong philosophy on reaching out to all stakeholders to build trust and strong relationships has benefited all of us.”

The award was established by NHA in 1990 in honor of Kenneth Henwood, who died while working on a project in California.

FERC EIS recommends relicensing Martin Dam

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff dropped objections to a flood pool elevation change and issued a final environmental impact statement recommending relicensing of the 182.5-MW Martin Dam project on Alabama’s Tallapoosa River.

Alabama Power, a unit of Southern Co., http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/hr/print/volume-27/issue-1/feature-articles/staff-training/developing-in-house-governor-expertise.html filed an application to relicense Martin Dam in 2011. FERC staff http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2013/06/ferc-draft-eis-recommends-relicensing-182-5-mw-martin-dam.html issued a draft EIS in 2013 that recommending relicensing Martin Dam as proposed, with a number of FERC staff modifications.

To provide higher reservoir levels in winter for recreation and to help ensure Lake Martin reaches its summer pool level by the end of May each year, Alabama Power proposed to raise the winter flood pool by 3 feet and raise the operating curve and drought curve proportionately. The draft EIS rejected that proposal because modeling indicated the reduction in flood storage would result in an increase in flood elevation downstream of the projects.

That assessment changed in the final EIS. “More refined analysis indicated little potential for a 3-foot increase in the winter flood pool elevation to increase peak water elevations downstream,” the final EIS said.

If the project were relicensed with no changes, power would cost about $120.10 per MWh less than the cost of alternative power. Under Alabama Power’s proposal, power would cost $119.45/MWh less than alternative power. Under the FERC staff-endorsed alternative, power would cost $119.44/MWh less than alternative.

The EIS may be obtained at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/OpenNat.asp?fileID=13826525.

Yurkovich steps down as Site C manager for BC Hydro

Susan Yurkovich, executive vice president, Site C Clean Energy Project for BC Hydro, resigned her position in late April, according to multiple news sources. Yurkovich joined the company in 2006.

The Globe and Mail reported that Diane McSherry, director of two major upgrades at BC Hydro, will replace Yurkovich in June.

Explaining the reason behind the departure, The Globe and Mail quoted Energy Minister Bill Bennett as saying, “Susan is leaving because she has brought the project to the place she wanted to bring it to before she retired from BC Hydro. She never intended to build the project.”

Site C is an $8.8 billion dam and 1,100-MW hydroelectric station on the Peace River in northeast British Columbia. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2015.

Site C is part of British Columbia’s plan to meet what it anticipates will be a 40% increase in the province’s demand for power over the coming two decades. The project was scheduled for development primarily over uncertainties due to the future of natural gas prices through the next 20 years.

NHA recognizes five companies as Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters

Five companies have been recognized by the National Hydropower Association as recipients of its Outstanding Stewards of America’s Water awards program for excellence in recreational, historical, environmental or educational value.

Honored in the category of Recreational, Environmental & Historical Enhancement were:

— http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/02/nypa-hydroelectric-power-allocations-key-in-spurring-new-york-s-economy.html New York Power Authority, for its Frog Island wetland restoration project. The initiative rebuilt a historic wetland area of the upper Niagara River that had gone barren.

— http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2014/08/california-utility-celebrates-30th-year-of-1-212-mw-helms-pumped-storage.html Pacific Gas & Electric, for restoring 500 acres of PG&E property to wetlands as part of the McArthur Swamp Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project.

— http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2014/11/reivax-wins-awards-for-exciter-replacements-at-two-north-american-hydropower-projects.html Tacoma Power, for collaborations with the Skokomish Indian Tribe and regulatory agencies on improving fish passage at Little Falls on the North Fork Skokomish River.

Honored in the category of Public Education were:

— http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2014/10/jacobs-associates-mcmillen-llc-announce-merger-plan.html McMillen Jacobs Associates, for community outreach and education campaign conducted during the raising of the Blue Lake Dam. The project increased the hydro plant’s capacity by 33%.

— http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2014/11/minnesota-s-71-mw-thomson-hydropower-plant-back-on-line-after-two-year-rehab.html Minnesota Power, for its “Hometown Hydropower: Rededication to Service” initiative, which educated the public on the role hydroelectricity plays in their lives.

FERC considers changes to license pre-filing rules

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff have proposed revisions to hydropower license pre-filing rules that might be considered “outmoded, ineffective, insufficient or excessively burdensome.”

The 2015 Biennial Staff Memo Concerning Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules (No. AD12-6-001) was issued under FERC’s 2011 plan to periodically examine its rules to see whether some warrant streamlining, expansion, repeal or modification.

FERC issued a formal notice April 23, saying public comments should be filed within 30 days of the notice date. Although the Notice of Staff Memorandum only refers to suggested revisions to the commission’s natural gas pipeline regulations, the memo itself includes suggested hydropower rules changes.

FERC staff said comments would help the commission decide whether any rules should undergo a formal public review under a notice of inquiry or a notice of proposed rulemaking.

The FERC staff memo proposed a review of several hydropower pre-filing rules under 18 C.F.R. Parts 4, 5 and 16.

Rule 18 C.F.R. Part 4 describes requirements for license pre-filing activities and filing applications using FERC’s traditional and alternative licensing processes. Part 5 describes requirements for pre-filing activities and filing applications using FERC’s integrated licensing process. Part 16 describes requirements for pre-filing activities and filing applications for relicensing.

The memo may be obtained at http://www.ferc.gov/legal/maj-ord-reg/retro-analysis/04-10-15-staff-memo.pdf www.ferc.gov/legal/maj-ord-reg/retro-analysis/04-10-15-staff-memo.pdf.

“Blue Gold” Report details new hydroelectric possibilities

The Hydro Research Foundation recently released its report, “Blue Gold: Building New Hydropower with Existing Infrastructure.”

Blue Gold details consensus policy changes meant to unleash new hydropower development and focuses on development at existing infrastructure because, according to HRF, “this type of hydropower development is most likely to occur in the near term.”

The 23-page document is part of the http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/02/hydro-research-foundation-announces-new-pathways-for-hydropower-report.html New Hydropower Innovation Collaborative, a series of documents generated from the partnership between HRF and http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/hr/print/volume-30/issue-3/articles/ocean-tidal-stream-power-identifying-how-marine-and-hydrokinetic-devices-affect-aquatic-environments.html Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In its report, HRF said in order for distributed hydro project opportunities to be realized, “Congress needs to eliminate federal involvement in small projects and dramatically simplify development on existing non-powered dams. The executive branch needs to apply to small-hydro the same policy and program tools it has previously applied to other distributed generation.”

The 8-MW Ridgway project in Colorado, completed in June 2014, is included as an example of successfully simplifying development of non-powered dams. Ridgway Dam was completed in 1987, to be compatible with a hydroelectric component, but its installation was not economically feasible. Blue Gold said success of the project was made possible by a US$15 million loan at 2% interest.

Installing hydropower on existing infrastructure remains time-consuming, costly and rare. Blue Gold identifies non-controversial regulatory changes it says could make similar processes inexpensive, relatively quick and commonplace.

The report is available at www.hydrofoundation.org/uploads/3/7/6/1/37618667/150422_final_blue_gold_report.pdf.

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