October 6 Webinar to Explore Hydropower Growth in North America

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October 6 Webinar to Explore Hydropower Growth in North America

DATE:

September 26, 2022

BY:

Anna Warren, Senior Communications Consultant, IHA

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October 6 Webinar to Explore Hydropower Growth in North America

NHA thanks our sponsors:

Gilkes

Building off of the developmental urgency presented by the 2022 Hydropower Status Report’s data, IHA, National Hydropower Association (NHA), and WaterPower Canada are partnering to present a webinar on October 6, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EST.

The webinar provides a platform for discussion on hydropower growth in North America. Attendees will hear about trends in hydropower development as well as common challenges faced by developers.

The webinar comes on the heels of WaterPower Canada’s annual conference, held September 21-23, 2022, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in the leadup to NHA’s annual Clean Currents Conference + Tradeshow, occurring the week of October 17 in Sacramento, California.

THE DEEP DIVE: URGENCY OF DEVELOPMENT

More investment in hydropower development is urgently needed to support the clean energy transition and meet climate change goals, according to International Hydropower Association’s (IHA) 2022 Hydropower Status Report, which shows global installed hydropower capacity increased by less than 2% in the last year.

Roger Gill, president of IHA, and Eddie Rich, chief executive at IHA, wrote in the report’s forward. In that, the two leaders point out that the past five years have seen an annual average of 22 GW of new hydropower capacity coming online, which is well below the 45 GW per year that is needed to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°.

According to Gill and Rich, the nations of the world should prioritize accelerating pumped storage hydropower development. They also highlight the untapped hydropower potential in many regions of the world; specifically, areas located in Asia and Africa. Along with the need to add global hydropower capacity, the existing hydropower fleet also requires modernization, as well as integrating hydropower facilities into non-powered water infrastructure wherever possible.

Hydropower installed capacity in 2021 (GW)

NORTH AMERICAN HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENTS

In North America, while significant hydropower projects exist, there is a wealth of untapped potential for new development, both at greenfield sites and by adding power components to existing civil infrastructure (dams impounding water for water supply, navigation, irrigation canals, or water conduits).

The United States has the third largest installed hydropower capacity in the world. Hydropower accounts for about 6% of the country’s annual electricity generation.

 In September 2021, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced an $8.5 million funding opportunity to improve the operational flexibility of the U.S. hydropower fleet, and in November 2021, the U.S. passed the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act. This bill contained investments for the waterpower industry, including $909 million for conventional hydropower, pumped storage, and marine energy. The infrastructure bill recognizes that hydropower and marine energy will play a major role in decarbonising the country’s electricity grid.

With the passing of the recent Inflation Reduction Act, the United States has provided generational funding for important renewables like hydropower, marine energy, and pumped storage.

 In Canada, hydropower continues to provide approximately 60% of the country’s total annual electricity generation while representing more than half of Canada’s total generation capacity. In 2021, nearly 3 GW of new projects continued to advance toward completion including the Keeyask power plant in Manitoba (695 MW), which brought four more units online.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

 The North American webinar is October 6, 2022, from from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EST.. The purpose is to provide a platform for discussion on hydropower growth in North America, as well as global perspectives to help unify support for urgent hydropower development.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Hear first-hand the trends in hydropower development/potential in North America and what it means for organizations
  • Identify common challenges and discuss with peers and experts the policy, regulatory, and market issues affecting hydropower
  • Share experiences, which will be useful to inform NHA, WaterPower Canada, and IHA’s advocacy with policymakers and financial institutions
  • Connect with IHA members and other organisations in the sector

Visit IHA’s website to register for the webinar.