DOE issues RFI seeking feedback on hydropower investments
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking public feedback to inform the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s nearly $630 million in investments in hydropower facilities.
The funding will cover capital improvement projects designed to make hydropower facilities more energy efficient and resilient.
Hydropower facilities use the flow of moving water to generate electricity. They currently supply 6 percent of all electricity in the United States and account for 32 percent of renewable electricity generation. Further, hydropower also accounts for 93 percent of all utility-scale energy storage. However, many hydropower facilities require upgrades to become more efficient or better integrated with other renewable energy sources.
“Water is one of humankind’s oldest methods of generating energy, and with technological advancements, we can harness this renewable power as a core driver for the nation’s clean energy transition,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “The investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law recognize that hydroelectricity is essential to strengthening the power grid and providing reliable, clean, and affordable energy for our communities as we transition to a net-zero economy.”
Specifically, the law’s Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Program, managed by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO), provides $553.6 million in incentive payments to enhance existing hydropower facilities through capital improvements directly related to three main areas: grid resiliency, dam safety, and environmental improvements.
Additionally, the lawʻs Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program, managed by GDO, provides a total of $75 million in incentive payments to owners or operators of existing hydroelectric facilities who may apply for funding to make capital improvements that can increase efficiency by at least 3 percent.
The DOE, through a request for information (RFI), is soliciting feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including industry, clean-energy advocates, and others on the structure of these programs, timing and distribution of funds, definitions of capital improvements, and selection criteria. Comments can be sent to WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov and must be received by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sept. 6.
