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*Editor’s Note: NHA’s Hydropower System Principles Overview will be co-located at Water Power Week beginning on Wednesday afternoon (April 2) and ending Thursday morning (April 3); separate registration is required.
During the week of March 31, 2025, the water power industry will gather in Washington, D.C., for National Hydropower Association’s (NHA) Water Power Week.
Running from March 31 – April 2, 2025, the event provides a unique opportunity for attendees to concentrate on regulatory, policy, markets, and legislative aspects of their work. Additionally, attendees will have the chance to hear from and network with others who affect the industry – regulators, resource agencies, and environmental communities.
With an abundance of content and opportunities to network and engage, attendees are tasked with determining their path for the event. To help make the most of Water Power Week, NHA created this article to aid attendees in identifying the topic areas most relevant to their interests.
General Topics Impacting Water Power
SESSION TOPICS
Advocacy:
NHA has declared April 1, 2025, as Hydro Advocacy Day, and is asking anyone working in the water power industry to take time that day to visit the offices of their legislators in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The intent is to make policy makers aware of hydropower in all its forms and to advance important water power priorities.
If you’re new to advocacy, or a practiced hand, NHA offers support to participants by:
- Arranging Hill meetings
- Providing a session on how to lobby and communicate legislative priorities
- Access to an Advocacy Day app, allowing quick reference for talking points, interactive map, personalized schedule,
- Handing out pocket cards for easily accessible industry priorities
With additional sessions designed to explore continuing this critical work outside of the event, NHA seeks to impart the power and importance of effective advocacy.
How to Get Local Officials to Give a ‘Dam’
NHA’s Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting – Advocacy Day Debrief and More!
Pitch Perfect: Advocacy Day Simulation for Capitol Hill Success
Reception on Capitol Hill with Congressional Staffers/Members (only available for Advocacy Day participants)
General Topics Impacting Water Power:
Water Power Week covers a wide range of topic areas critical to the industry. The below sessions provide important opportunities to explore workforce initiatives, attract funding to project development, or advance conversations with key stakeholders.
With growing uncertainty surrounding federal funding, NHA has developed two sessions to help attendees navigate the changing energy landscape. Whether attendees are learning about securing private funding for project development or connecting with federal resource agency representatives, Water Power Week helps attendees navigate the biggest issues shaping the industry.
From Concept to Capital: How Developers and Technologies Secure Private Investment
Office Hours with U.S. Department of Energy, Resource Agencies, and Regulators
Hydropower:
As the energy landscape evolves, hydropower is seizing new opportunities in power markets, regulatory processes, and technological innovation. Water Power Week will feature discussions on key topics, including hydropower’s role in the voluntary Renewable Energy Credit (REC) market, best practices for decommissioning projects, international research advancements, and the sector’s ability to support the surging electricity demand from data centers.
Sessions will provide critical insights, such as the complex process of FERC license surrender and facility decommissioning, including environmental restoration and stakeholder coordination. Attendees can also explore Norway’s embrace of hydropower innovation at an exclusive event at the Royal Norwegian Embassy, highlighting advancements that support a renewables-based grid.
With data center electricity demand projected to grow 160% by 2030, hydropower is emerging as a key solution for balancing high-performance computing with sustainability. Experts will discuss how behind-the-meter hydro solutions and long-term power arrangements are shaping the future of energy-intensive industries.
Water Power Week’s sessions will equip attendees with the knowledge to navigate these evolving challenges and opportunities.
Baseload for the Digital Age: How Hydropower Can Support Data Center Expansion
Hydropower Research and Development: Educational Event at the Norwegian Embassy (ticketed event)
Unlocking the Voluntary RECs Market: A Guide for Hydro
Marine Energy:
As marine energy continues to innovate and redefine water power’s potential, attendees at Water Power Week will be able to join discussions about the real-world applications of the technology while utilizing proximity to other developers to pursue further advancement.
Attendees interested in marine energy can expect to discuss how to navigate the current regulatory regime while highlighting tools that illustrate bankability of marine energy technologies. Additionally, Water Power Week marine energy content will cover lessons learned, potential for grid connection, and future developments.
Attending Water Power Week turns marine energy’s potential into reality by connecting developers with federal government contacts while providing a platform for emerging technologies and trends.
To better understand the growing importance of marine energy, as well as the innovations shaping its future, NHA has devoted five sessions, one meet and greet, and one committee/council meeting to the topic.
A Collaborative Framework for Marine Energy Project Permitting in Light of Lessons Learned
Connecting the Ocean to the Grid: Key Infrastructure for Marine Energy Integration
Improving the Bankability and Certainty of Marine Energy Projects
Marine Energy Meet and Greet: Informal Social Gathering
Pathway to Technology Leadership – Marine Energy Developments
Policy and Regulatory Topics:
Water Power Week in D.C. takes full advantage of its location and proximity to Capitol Hill, attracting speakers from federal agencies, who offer expert insight into the biggest topics impacting water power. Whether attendees are hearing from representatives at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) various offices or listening to speakers with deep knowledge of the industry, Water Power Week provides unprecedented access to the industry’s top minds.
Additionally, at this year’s Water Power Week, NHA is excited to offer insider perspectives into both Congress’ agenda for water power, as well as the regulatory hot topics critical to the industry.
Capitol Currents: Inside Congress’ Agenda for Water Power
Prevailing Wages and Apprenticeships – Nuance Matters When Implementing the Requirements
Regulatory Hot Topics in Water Power
Pumped Storage:
Pumped storage is one of the biggest topics in water power, and NHA is excited to offer two sessions and one member’s only meeting about pumped storage hydro.
As demand for long-duration energy storage grows in the United States, the value statement offered by pumped storage hydropower becomes difficult to deny. With Rye Development’s Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage underway in Kentucky, the project, which is being constructed on former mine land, has received $81 million in grants from the Department of Energy.
With a wealth of information, tools, and insight into how to develop pumped storage available at Water Power Week, the event offers attendees access to the people and expertise shaping the field.
Understanding the landscape, permitting and licensing obstacles, and financial costs of these projects is paramount for the water power industry, and Water Power Week provides the framework for important conversations and learning opportunities to occur.
How to be a Pumped Storage Hydro Champion
Low Impact Certification for New Pumped Storage Hydro
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about the schedule for NHA’s Water Power Week, click here.
To register for Water Power Week, click here.
