Jobs and People

Coffee and a conversation: HYDROVISION hosts moderated breakfast roundtables

Coffee and a conversation: HYDROVISION hosts moderated breakfast roundtables
(Dozens of hydropower enthusiasts chat about the specifics of their work at the HYDROVISION breakfast roundtables session on Thursday, July 18, 2024.)

By Paul Gerke

Some people don’t want to be disturbed until they’ve put down a cup of coffee. Others jump out of bed ready to discuss the specifics of the hydropower industry.

HYDROVISION International seems to attract a lot of the latter group.

On Thursday morning, dozens of industry leaders gathered to share ideas and a meal on the last day of the event. The small groups provided an excellent peer-to-peer networking opportunity, and each table’s specific topic was moderated by a leading professional in the given field.

Table Topics:

  • Best Practices for Refurbishing Aging Hydro Facilities
  • Dam Safety and Civil Infrastructure Issues
  • Equipment and Technology Advances and Updates
  • Highlights in Plant Operations and Maintenance
  • Latest on Policies and Regulations Affecting U.S. Hydro
  • Strategies and Approaches for Managing Hydro Assets
  • Trends in Global New Hydro Development
  • Using Pumped Storage Hydro to Meet New Energy Needs
  • Working Together: Batteries and Hydropower
HYDROVISION International attendees chat over breakfast.

Conversations were buzzing at every table I sat down at.

Michael Fleurkins of Grant County PUD and Travis Penno of Hydro Tech discussed upgrading springs at the Best Practices for Refurbishing Aging Hydro Facilities table. Adjacent to them, two engineers shared a laugh over the headaches they face dealing with their SCADA teams at Trends in Global New Hydro Development.

Working Together: Batteries and Hydropower attracted several hydropower professionals seeking opportunities to add batteries to their projects. Scott Morris, senior program manager at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said he wasn’t currently working with any batteries but was interested to learn more.

“We use them mostly for peaking,” detailed Jason Cohn of Snohomish County PUD, who is working on a project featuring the largest standalone BESS in the Pacific Northwest. “We charge when energy prices are low and dispatch when they go up.”

Alicia Jackson of FERC sits down at the table and immediately jumps into the flow of conversation, sharing her Montana background with Cohen. I hop up to check out Using Pumped Storage Hydro to Meet New Energy Needs.

“It’s basically a massive, natural battery,” describes Marlos de Moraes, senior project manager at Hydro Tech. Martha Becton explains she’s new to hydropower and wants to understand the challenges de Moraes and his colleagues face.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about generation. It’s about the consumption,” de Moraes posits. He and his company have donethe math and decided they need to generate more energy to attract more investors, lamenting how pricey it can be to pump water when rates are high.

Another voice chimes in. He’s a Russian gentleman working in Saudi Arabia on The Line, a 105-mile-long indoor city running on renewable energy, described as a “giga-project” that will revolutionize the way residents will live their lives. There will be no cars, no emissions, and the people living there will spend most of their time “indoors.” Believe it or not, he says, pumped storage will be an essential part of its construction.

“Oh I believe it!” exclaims de Moraes. “I totally understand.”

Originally published in Renewable Energy World.