$28 million will be made available by the Biden-Harris administration to advance and deploy hydropower technology.

 

DC's Washington — In three funding opportunities, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced more than $28 million to support research and development initiatives that will improve and safeguard hydropower as a vital source of clean energy. The expansion of low-impact hydropower and pumped storage hydropower, the creation of new pumped storage hydropower facilities, and engagement with influential voices on issues like hydropower fleet modernization, sustainability, and environmental impacts will all be supported by funding provided by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The independent energy storage tax credit in President Biden's inflation reduction bill would significantly increase the viability of pumped storage hydropower. In order to move away from fossil fuels and achieve President Biden's goals of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, hydropower will be a crucial source of clean energy.

According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, "Hydropower has long given Americans significant, dependable energy, which will now play a critical part in achieving energy independence and safeguarding the environment." In order to capitalize on the potential of hydropower and guarantee that communities have a say in creating America's clean energy future, President Biden's Agenda is funding crucial technologies.

Approximately 6.3% of all electricity produced in the US comes from hydropower, which generates 31.5% of the country's renewable energy. Pumped storage hydropower accounts for 93% of the country's utility-scale energy storage, ensuring that there is electricity available when homes and businesses need it.

The available funding options include:

encouraging innovative ways to retrofit powerless dams, the development and testing of technologies that ease the deployment of pumped storage hydropower, as well as opportunities for organizations that are not frequently involved with DOE's Water Power Technologies Office to support hydropower research and development. (About $14.5 million total funding)

supporting research that paves the way for new pumped storage hydropower plants to be authorized, built, and eventually put into service so that intermittent renewable energy can be stored for extended periods of time. (Funding total: $10,000,000)

fostering discussions and finding solutions on issues such the modernization of the US hydropower fleet, the sustainability of the hydropower system, and the environmental effect of hydropower facilities. ($4 million in funding)

The EERE Exchange hosts the three financing opportunity announcements.