The President's Award

This prestigious award is given to a member company that has blazed new pathways to strengthen and invigorate the hydropower industry.

President’s Award 2009 Given to Hydro Green Energy

Washington, D.C.‐ The National Hydropower Association is pleased to announce that it bestowed its prestigious President's Award on Hydro Green Energy, LLC, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"Hydro Green Energy's project in Hastings, Minnesota, represents the first commercially licensed hydrokinetic
facility in the United States," said NHA Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci. "This project opens the door to a
whole new range of technologies and applications in the hydro sector. It marks a great step for Hydro Green
Energy and a great milestone for our industry."

Church Ciocci noted that the project also demonstrates that hydropower facilities of all sizes can offer important
economic, energy, and environmental benefits.

"In developing the Hastings project, Hydro Green Energy has created approximately 100 jobs, both directly and
indirectly, in different regions of the country," Church Ciocci said. "Plus, it is providing clean, affordable,
renewable energy to the grid with almost no environmental footprint."

Hydro Green Energy put its hydrokinetic power system in the water near Hastings, Minnesota, in January, just a
few weeks after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project's license by a 5‐0 vote. The
company partnered with the City of Hastings on the project, which is downstream from an existing 4.4‐
megawatt run‐of‐river hydropower plant at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lock & Dam No. 2 on the
Mississippi River. Hastings is the only hydrokinetic power project in the United States that supplies electricity to
the power grid.

"'Going first' in an industry is always a huge achievement, but when you consider the technical, financial,
logistical, and licensing hurdles Hydro Green Energy has had to cross to make this project a reality, you realize
what an extraordinary feat this is and what an important step it is for our industry," said NHA's President Rick
Miller. "It's a true service to the industry and the renewable‐energy sector."

Hydro Green Energy's award marks only the third time in NHA's history that the association has presented the
President's Award, which goes to an NHA member company that has "blazed new pathways to strengthen and
invigorate the hydropower industry." Previous winners include Brookfield Renewable Power (formerly Reliant)
and Verdant Power.

Hydro Green Energy has been a member of the National Hydropower Association since 2006. In addition to its
work at Hastings, the company is pursuing waterpower projects in Alaska, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine,
Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin.

President’s Award 2006 Given To Verdant Power

Washington D.C. — Verdant Power of Arlington, Va., a kinetic hydropower company, is the 2006 recipient of the National Hydropower Association’s President’s Award. This prestigious award is given to a member company that has blazed new pathways to strengthen and invigorate the hydropower industry.

Verdant Power is scheduled to deploy underwater turbines in New York City’s East River. The tidal energy project, located near the United Nations building, will have a capacity of up to 10 MW. They are also involved in other major projects: California’s Aqueducts & Canals Energy (ACE) Project; Canada’s Corwall, Ontario River Energy (CORE) Project; UK’s European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) Project, and other soon to be announced—all leading toward commercialization.

“Verdant Power, just in its sixth year of operation, has such a tremendous vision of the future, and enthusiasm to make that vision a reality,” said George Martin, 2005 president of NHA. Martin presented Verdant with the award during the Association’s opening assembly at their annual conference held April 3–5 in Washington D.C.

Hydropower’s growth potential is sometimes misunderstood. Although one of the nations leading renewable energy resources, it is not thought of as a growing and cutting edge technology. The President’s Award was developed to help recognize forward thinking companies that are leading the way for new growth and vitality in the hydropower industry. Verdant Power is certainly one of them.

President’s Award 2003 Given to Reliant Energy (now Brookfield Renewable Power)

Washington, D.C.‐Reliant Energy has earned the first ever President's Award, given in Washington, DC. The President's Award was established to recognize a company for its outstanding leadership in the industry. This award was created to recognize a company that understands the importance of balancing non-energy and energy values and that exhibits the forsight to establish a new vision, forging new paths for the industry through their willingness to take risks and overcome major obstacles.

Reliant Energy exhibits all of these characteristics, especially in their Oswegatchie Hydro Redevelopment Project, taking a risk and using innovative technologies to redevelop an inoperable plant in less thaneighteen months. Reliant Energy acts as a leader to the entire hydropower industry, showing us the importance of taking risks, having courage, and the success it can yield in the form of a new hydropower plant. Reliant Energy deserves this award for their trail blazing and perserverance, which was demonstrated in their execution of the Oswegatchie Hydro Revelopment Project.

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