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In a May 2021 virtual meeting focused on the southwestern U.S., Mark Cook of the Bureau of Reclamation, manager of the “most iconic hydropower project in the world,” as he calls it (also known as Hoover Dam), spoke candidly about challenges he faces in terms of rehabilitation: aging infrastructure, and massive loss of income due to COVID restrictions, which put a halt to tourist revenue. (If you missed this presentation, you can still purchase access to the event materials, including a video recording, here.)
In July 2021, another iconic hydropower project will be in the spotlight, this time in the northeastern U.S. The National Hydropower Association (NHA) will feature the Niagara Power Project during its in-person 2021 Northeast Regional Meeting, July 20-21, in Niagara, New York.
NHA’s regional meeting series are open to anyone working in the waterpower industry, or affecting the industry. Typically, NHA organizes 4 to 6 of these a year. They are 1- to 2-day meetings designed to focus on content specifically relevant to a particular region of the United States. They also typically include a “report” from NHA – giving an update about what the association is doing for members and for the industry. The meetings create an opportunity for people working in a specific region of the country to come together to network and share regionally-focused challenges and solutions.
Owing to the COVID pandemic, for the past year, NHA had to pivot to offering a virtual version of these meetings. “As the first in-person meeting that NHA has held in over a year, a focus on one of the most iconic hydro projects in the U.S. will be a very exciting,” says Marycella Dumlao, NHA meeting planner and program coordinator.
Registration rates for the Northeast meeting can be found HERE.
The Northeast Regional Meeting is sponsored by these national sponsors: American Hydro, Andritz, Black & Veatch, Emerson, GE Renewables, HDR, Kleinschmidt, Mavel, Mesa Associates, Stantec, Troutman Pepper, TurbinePros, and Voith. In addition, regional sponsors are: American Babbit Bearing, Bergmann, JF Brennan, NuSTREEM, and Van Ness Feldman.
The host utility for this meeting is the New York Power Authority (NYPA). Part of the program for this public meeting is a unique video tour of the Niagara Power Project, presented by NYPA project personnel.
The Niagara Power Project is New York State’s biggest electricity producer, providing up to 2.6 million kilowatts of clean electricity. The electricity is generated at two facilities: the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant.
The Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station is located in Lewiston, New York. It diverts water from the Niagara River above Niagara Falls and returns the water to the lower portion of the river near Lake Ontario.
The pump-generating plant in the Lewiston Dam is atypical in that the dam was constructed not to control the flow of water in a natural river, but to contain a man-made upper reservoir, the Lewiston Reservoir, which stores the water before its release into the forebay of the Robert Moses Power Station.
In addition to the Niagara tour, the meeting agenda will feature a number of topics specifically relevant to those working in the northeastern U.S. Representatives from the following companies are working to develop the meeting’s content: FirstLight Power, Gravity Renewables, New York Power Authority, American Babbitt Bearing, American Hydro, Andritz, Bergmann, Black & Veatch, Emerson, GE Renewable Energy, HDR, J.F. Brennan, Kleinschmidt, Mavel, Mesa, Stantec, Troutman Pepper, Van Ness Feldman, and Voith Hydro.
Registration for the 2021 Northeast Regional Meeting is currently open.
