Finance

U.S. DOE opens technical assistance opportunity for hydropower hybrids and pumped storage

Tags
U.S. DOE opens technical assistance opportunity for hydropower hybrids and pumped storage
(photo courtesy Gilkes Energy)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) has opened an opportunity for hydropower developers, system operators, utilities and other stakeholders to receive technical assistance on the development of hydropower hybrids and pumped storage hydropower (PSH).

This technical assistance provided by DOE’s national laboratories will focus on supporting stakeholders’ decision-making regarding potential projects.

Today, hydropower provides about 6.2% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation and 28.7% of total U.S. utility-scale renewable electricity generation. Meanwhile, pumped storage hydropower is the largest contributor to U.S. energy storage, representing 96% of utility-scale energy storage capacity as of 2022.

This technical assistance aims to provide:

  • Industry stakeholders with greater insight into the value of hydropower hybrid configurations, which combine hydropower with another electricity generation or energy storage resource. Technical assistance would provide access to national laboratory hydro hybrids sizing, planning and operations tools to evaluate hydropower hybrid opportunities.
  • PSH developers and other stakeholders with national laboratory expertise and capabilities to help them address valuation hurdles in PSH project development. Technical assistance will provide access to national laboratory tools, such as the PSH Valuation Tool, and other modeling and analysis capabilities to evaluate PSH development opportunities.

WPTO anticipates providing technical assistance to up to 18 projects that are expected to last two to three years. Each recipient will receive assistance valued between $200,000 and $1.25 million through specifically assembled technical assistance teams comprising subject-matter experts from one or more national laboratories. (This technical assistance opportunity is pending future congressional appropriations.)

Potential recipients must submit statements of interest no later than 5 p.m. ET on April 1, 2024.