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Press Contacts

We do our best to respond promptly to all press inquiries and we appreciate your interest in the National Hydropower Association.  Please help us by including your name, publication, deadline and summary of what you are looking for.
Main Contact
LeRoy Coleman
leroy@hydro.org 202.750.8405

Fact Sheets

Learn More

Tech & Policy Why Hydro Policy Priorities

What NHA Is Saying:

Press Releases and Statements Comments and Testimony

House Committee Passes Section 242 & 243 Programs

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee reported out H.R. 3361, the Reliable Investment in Vital Energy Reauthorization Act’’ or ‘‘RIVER Act’’ by Representatives David McKinley (WV-1). The RIVER Act is the reauthorization bill for the EPAct of 2005 Section 242 and 243 hydropower production and efficiency incentives. The bill would re-open the eligibility window to allow qualified facilities – existing dams and conduits that add a new turbine or other hydroelectric generating device –  to receive payments under the programs if funded through the appropriations process annually. A companion bill (S.859) passed the Senate in July. NHA will continue to provide updates as the bill moves through Congress.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Releases Climate Discussion Draft

The House Energy and Commerce Committee last week released its long-awaited climate “discussion draft”. Legislative text will not be available for several weeks, but the bill appears to include several of the priorities that NHA has been working on with the Committee over the last year: First, the draft recognizes that hydropower is an essential part of any climate solution. As such, we will get equal treatment with wind, solar anther low-carbon technologies. Second, with 30% of the U.S. hydropower fleet up for license renewal by 2030, the draft also recognizes that license reform is a necessary prerequisite towards development of a carbon-free grid that is reliable, affordable and secure. Coming from the House Democrats, this is a significant step forward. Given that the Committee was developing an economy-wide climate bill, Committee staff alerted us that they were unable to devote significant attention to negotiating new license reform provisions. Instead they based the draft’s provisions on Congressman Rush’s 2017 amendment that focused on encouraging negotiated rulemakings. We have already spoken with both sides of the aisle about strengthening the license reform provisions as the bill works its way through the Committee process.

CEQ Unveils Proposed NEPA Reform

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) last week. The proposed changes are aimed at streamlining and modernize federal permitting processes. CEQ is accepting comments on the NOPR until March 10, 2020. Summaries of the NOPR can be found here and here. NHA’s Regulatory Committee is holding a conference call on January 23 at 3 pm EST to discuss NHA’s response to the proposal. By way of background, NHA previously filed NEPA reform comments with the CEQ in 2018. If you are interested in joining the conference call, please contact Dennis Cakert at Dennis@hydro.org or 202-697-2404.

NHA CEO 2020 OUTLOOK WEBINAR

Please join us for our Members Webinar: NHA CEO 2020 Outlook on January 22, at 1:00-1:30 EST, presented by NHA President and CEO Malcolm Woolf. With an ambitious vision for 2020, NHA has its sights on bolstering our advocacy efforts on legislative, regulatory and markets issues and deepening our level of member engagement. As we hit the ground running in the new year, our first priority is to get you, as a member, up-to-speed on what we hope to accomplish. Therefore, we invite you to participate in our “townhall” style webinar, where you will be able to ask questions and provide your insights on how we are moving the industry, and the association, forward.
Below you will find a link to join the webinar: VIDEO: To view the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone, please click the following link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/872881725   AUDIO: To connect to audio, please join the conference call:
  • 1-866-809-4014
  • Code: 1120120
WHEN:
  • January 22, 2020
  • 1:00 – 1:30 pm EST

ACCESS NHA’S MEMBER PORTAL

During the last part of 2019 we began rolling out our new Member Portal. You may have received email or read something in NHA Today before encouraging you to utilize this new resource, as it is meant to be a one-stop-shop for all your NHA Membership needs.  In order to register for NHA Regional Meetings at the membership discount, you must go through the portal.  Through the portal you can manage your personal account, register for events, subscribe to committee and council web pages and access member only information. Upon clicking the button below to access to your account for the first time, you will be prompted to enter and submit your email address. You will then be sent an email with your username and a temporary password that will expire in two days. Please check your spam filter and junk folder if you do not receive an email within a few minutes. Follow the prompts to create your new password. Once you are logged into the member portal, please update your contact info, by clicking on “My Profile”.  For your convenience, we suggest you use your email address as your username and create a new password.  Please reset your password for future access. Need help?  Contact CJ Greco at cj@hydro.org or Diane Lear at diane@hydro.org. Check it out today!

NHA AWARDS SEASON

SUBMIT YOUR 2020 HENWOOD NOMINATION!

NHA is accepting nominations for the 2020 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award. The Henwood Award, NHA’s highest individual honor, is presented annually to an individual within the hydropower industry who exhibits:
  • Dedication to hydropower as an energy technology
  • Persistence in the face of institutional obstacles
  • Appreciation and understanding of the relationships among project engineering, environment and economics
  • A strong commitment for fair dealing and plain speaking
  • Uncommon energy, enthusiasm, and excitement as a leading force in the industry
To nominate an outstanding hydropower professional for the Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award you’ll be asked to fill out a nomination form through NHA’s online application portal.  The form will allow you to describe, in no more than 500 words per criterion, how the nominee meets the 5 aforementioned criteria. Nominations will be accepted until February 21, 2020.

NHA ACCEPTING 2020 OSAW AWARD APPLICATIONS!

NHA is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for the 2020 Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) award cycle. As an industry, we recognize deserving organizations in the hydropower and marine energy industry for projects that exhibit exemplary operational, recreational, or environmental stewardship. Applications are due March 1st, 2020. Winners will be notified in March 2020. The award ceremony will take place during the 2020 Waterpower Week in Washington, May 19-21, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
  • Operational excellence
  • Public Education
  • Environmental, Recreational, or Historical Enhancement
T​o learn more about the OSAW Awards, click here to download the OSAW Applicant Guide for detailed information on eligibility, categories, and helpful hints when applying.

UPCOMING NHA EVENTS

REGISTRATION FOR NHA 2020 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MEETING NOW OPEN

Join NHA in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 25 – 26 for the 2020 NHA Southeast Regional Meeting. A tour of Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station will be offered on February 25.

Sponsorship and Registration for NHA 2020 Northeast Regional Meeting Now Open

Join NHA for our Northeast Regional Meeting on March 31-April 1 in Niagra, NY!

Sponsorship opportunities are also now available. Please contact Marycella Dumlao at marycella@hydro.org for more information

Register for ICOE 2020!

 

Latest Annual Report

Below you’ll find NHA’s current and past Annual Reports. Each one captures the Association’s — and the hydropower industry’s — accomplishments throughout a given year.

IN THIS EDITION…

NHA’s Scouting Report
Issues, Policies & Challenges: Latest on how NHA is working on your behalf
Committee Corner
The Latest about Committee and Council activities
On Your Radar…
The latest deadlines, reminders, & alerts
Movers & Shakers
See who has been moving around lately
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for NHA’s Path the Clean Energy Virtual Event (3/11) & All NHA Events

The Latest: Meet Your New VP of Government Affairs, Zolaikha Strong

NHA is pleased to announce that Zolaikha Strong has joined our team as the new Vice President for Government Affairs. Prior to coming to NHA, Zolaikha was the Director of Energy Policy and Clean Energy Markets at the Copper Development Association, leading the North American Clean Energy Office for the global copper alliance.  In this capacity, she initiated legislative efforts advocating for policies and regulations among key decision makers in energy, environment, and sustainability, collaborating with manufacturers on the development of new technologies, and building partnerships with clean energy advocates. Previously, she was with Edison Electric Institute and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  If you have any questions regarding NHA’s legislative efforts, we encourage you to contact Zolaikha at zstrong@hydro.org | office 202-750-8403 | mobile 202-302-1507

NHA’s Scouting Report

REGISTER TODAY: Join us tomorrow, March 11th at 2:00 PM ET, for a Path to Clean Energy Virtual Event “Pairing Batteries & Hydropower: Clean Energy’s Untapped Solution”, hosted in partnership with the Energy Storage Association. This is part of NHA’s effort to reach beyond the hydro industry, and showcase to clean energy policy makers the value hydro provides in a clean energy mix. Invite your network of influencers and policy makers to attend – simply send this link to them. Of course, NHA members are welcome to attend this complimentary webinar.
NHA’s Small Hydro Council filed comments on three different bills in Connecticut designed to improve the valuation of small hydro. The bills could expand net metering programs to value existing small hydro projects at or close to retail rates.
Marine Energy: NHA is working to showcase marine energy’s potential contribution to the nation’s future energy demand and the Biden administration’s clean energy goals, in light of the release of the DOE and NREL report. We are working to organize a webinar for clean energy policymakers later this month to explore the potential for marine energy deployment.

Waterpower Trivia Break…

Time to test your waterpower knowledge! Each week, we’ll present you with a hydropower or marine energy brainteaser. QUESTION OF THE WEEK: The Balmoral Estate maintains a hydropower project. Who owns it and when was the first turbine installed? The first three respondents with the correct answer will be announced on the next Member’s Playbook. Email your answer to info@hydro.org. Answer to last week’s question: TVA’s Wilson Dam was constructed to supply electricity for two nitrate plants at Muscle Shoals for the making of explosives to support WW1 efforts.

Committee Corner

Hydraulic Power Committee: Register Today (FREE)! Hydraulic Power Committee 2021 Spring Hot Topics and Member Exchange, March 24, 11 AM-12:30 PM ET – agenda in Member Portal under the Hydraulic Power Committee.
Legal Affairs Task Force: All three legal challenges to the 401 Final Rule are being held in abeyance.
Marine Energy Council:
  • The Council is currently working on a Marine Energy Commercialization Strategy geared at highlighting marine energy’s potential, identifying barriers to commercialization and providing federal recommendations to break down those barriers.
  • Marine Energy Members convene monthly to discuss council ongoing activity, provide project updates and take part in the member meetup. A recurring meeting invitation has been sent to all MEC members for the first Tuesday of the month at 3:00 PM ET. If you did not receive an invitation and would like to join, contact Luciana at luciana@hydro.org
  • “Get out the Registration” – we encourage every NHA member interested in marine energy – waves, tides, ocean current, riverine hydrokinetics – to sign up today for the International Conference on Ocean Energy  (ICOE)

Markets Committee: The Committee is finalizing the whitepaper with the Brattle Group and has scheduled a call for Wednesday, March 17th at 2 PM ET. Ahead of that call we will send the draft whitepaper to the full committee (and to the board) to ask for any feedback. Brattle authors Sam Newell and Roger Lueken will provide an overview and answer any questions. The Committee will also discuss NHA’s interest in upcoming FERC technical conferences on resource adequacy and ancillary service market designs.
Pumped Storage Development Council: The Council will hold a call on Thursday, March 18th at  3 PM ET to coordinate our efforts to support an ITC in Congress. In addition, the council is in the final stages of finalizing the Pumped Storage 2021 report. The Council hopes to showcase the report at Waterpower Week.
Regulatory Affairs Committee: The Committee distributed a rough draft of comments on FERC’s NOI regarding hydropower financial assurance. Deadline for feedback on NHA’s comments is Thursday, March 18th. Deadline for comments to FERC is Monday, March 29th.

Learn & Connect

View current and ongoing innovative research within the WaterPower Research Portal.
Earn 12.75 hours of professional development (PDHs) by attending the virtual Waterpower Week event, April 27-29. All employees of NHA member organizations are eligible for registration discounts.

New event report added to the Operational Excellence database – “Confusion and Work Continuing after a Stop Work” View it here
Clean Currents: It’s on! Registration for Clean Currents is Now Live. We started with a vision to create an all-new event that would bring the industry together for the betterment of the industry. And now, we’re throwing open the doors to invite you in. As an NHA member, your attendance will directly help us provide resources and services that all our members rely upon. Revenue from Clean Currents flows back to NHA and not a third-party, for-profit organization. Plus, as a member, you automatically receive the best savings if you register before May 5! You can save up to 50% on your full conference registration of up to 66% if you opt for single day registration. With a scheduled date this fall, the official waterpower tradeshow + conference of the National Hydropower Association is in a great position to “welcome the industry home” in person! We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta from October 20-22. You can learn more and register here.

NHA Press Releases

  • NHA published a press release titled, House E&C CLEAN Future Act Recognizes Hydropower as Climate SolutionRead it here
  • NHA issued a quote applauding the introduction of the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04). The bill recognizes hydropower as an essential part of America’s emerging clean energy grid. Read it here

Movers & Shakers

  • NY Power Authority named Daniella Piper Regional Manager for Western New York Region; First Female to Head NYPA’s Niagara Power Project in 60-Year History of the Project.
Have Movers & Shakers tips? Email Us: info@hydro.org

Member Portal Tips

We’re Putting You in the Driver’s Seat: NHA’s Member Portal makes it easy to maximize your NHA membership benefits. With just a few clicks, you can manage your contact information, join committees and councils, register for events and access member resources all from one place.  Registering through the portal automatically gives you member discounts to all NHA events and makes it easy to make payments. Click here to check out the NHA’s Member Portal today. Use your email address as your user name and enter your password or use the “forgot my password” feature and follow the instructions.  Once you’re in, reset your password if necessary and explore the portal using the left navigation. Questions?  Contact Diane Lear at diane@hydro.org or Kelly Rogers at kelly@hydro.org.

NHA Congratulates…

  • Ocean Renewable Power Company(ORPC) on being granted $3.6 million from DOE’s Waterpower Technology Office (WPTO) for clean energy research to build, test, and operate a modular current energy converter. Read More
  • Jerzy Salamon on being recognized as the Bureau of Reclamation’s Engineer of the Year for his work on the safety evaluation of dams and dam structures.
  • Janette Chamberlin and Karen Aloia of Troutman Pepper for being recognized as VIP’s Volunteers of the Month

On Your Radar…

Wednesday, March 31st 2-3 PM ET: DOE’s”Key Industry Trends for U.S. Hydropower: An Overview of the 2021 Edition of the S. Hydropower Market Report” Learn about U.S. hydropower trends during the Department of Energy (DOE)’s webinar on March 31st. Representatives from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office will walk listeners through key takeaways from the January 2021 edition of the U.S. Hydropower Market Report. Led by ORNL, the report compiles data from public and commercial sources as well as research findings from DOE projects to provide a comprehensive picture of developments in the U.S. hydropower and pumped-storage fleet and industry trends for U.S. and global hydropower. Register now!

Funding Opportunities

Outreach and Advocacy: NHA Helps Hydro’s Voice Be Heard

This spring, NHA is providing a special advocacy service to all companies in the waterpower industry to “make your voice heard”. Just because we are in a virtual world doesn’t mean we can’t raise waterpower’s value to the attention of Congress and ensure our policy messages are heard within the Beltway! NHA will arrange and facilitate virtual meetings for you with your Congressional representatives (members of Congress and their staff). These virtual meetings are being planned for the weeks of April 19 and May 3 – which are the week before or the week after NHA’s Waterpower Week conference. What NHA is offering you:
  • A 1-hour webinar about how to ‘make your voice heard’ to Congress (Tuesday, April 13, at 2 p.m. eastern)
  • Set up a meeting for you/your team to meet with your Congressional reps
  • Train you/your team how to advocate – through a 1-hour webinar on advocating policy before Congress
  • Hand-hold you/your team – an NHA staff member will attend the meeting with you and leads you through the process
Why does this matter? Why do we need you?
  • We as an industry need to raise the profile of waterpower among the new 117th Congress.
  • As someone that works in the industry, you/your team is in the best position to talk to Congressional representatives about the direct impact of federal action at the local level.
  • It’s important your elected representatives hear from you on waterpower policy priorities.
  • How to take advantage of this service: Simply email Rebecca Blood or call 202-539-6995 to confirm you want to “make your voice heard.”

NHA Welcomes New Member: Rock Creek Energy Group

NHA welcomes its newest member, Rock Creek Energy Group (RCEG), a boutique energy law firm and women-owned business based in Washington, DC.  Julia Wood and NHA Board Member Sharon White, both formerly of Van Ness Feldman, LLP, have joined RCEG and will continue to provide expert legal counsel on licensing and compliance, project development, the purchase and sale of hydropower projects, operations and market participation, and FERC enforcement issues.  RCEG also specializes in clean water and environmental resource issues, as well as litigation and settlement strategy. The firm represents a broad base of hydropower industry participants, from independent power producers, investor-owned utilities, municipal entities, and other investors in hydro and renewable and conventional generation resources.  Visit them at https://rockcreekenergygroup.com/.

Upcoming Events

  • March 16:Board of Directors Meeting
  • March 26:Last day to submit responses to gain insights into your organization’s safety performance. Contact Luciana Ciocci for details at luciana@hydro.org
  • April 13, 2 PM -3:30 PM ET: NHA Advocacy Webinar, How to Work with Congress. Email Rebecca Blood to confirm: rkbhydro@gmail.com

IN THIS EDITION…

NHA’s Scouting Report
Latest on how NHA is working on your behalf
Committee Corner
The Latest about Committee and Council activities
On Your Radar…
The latest deadlines, reminders, & alerts
Movers & Shakers
See who has been moving around lately
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for upcoming NHA Events

The Latest: NHA IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2021 HENWOOD AWARD!

NHA is accepting nominations for the 2021 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award. The Henwood Award, NHA’s highest individual honor, is presented annually to an individual within the waterpower industry who exhibits:

    • Dedication to hydropower as an energy technology
    • Persistence in the face of institutional obstacles
    • Appreciation and understanding of the relationships among project engineering, environment and economics
    • A strong commitment for fair dealing and plain speaking
    • Uncommon energy, enthusiasm, and excitement as a leading force in the industry

Nominations will be accepted until August 16, 2021.

To nominate an outstanding waterpower professional for the Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award you’ll be asked to fill out a nomination form through NHA’s online application portal.  The form will allow you to describe, in no more than 500 words per criterion, how the nominee meets the 5 aforementioned criteria.

NHA’s Scouting Report

August 12, 3:00 PM ET: Return to the Workplace webinar. As a service to member organizations, NHA is surveying member companies and organizations about their plans and practices for beginning to return to the workplace, and will share results on the members-only webinar
 Clean Currents Tradeshow + Conference, week of October 18 in Atlanta  NHA is organizing this annual industry-wide event for membership and industry. Reduced registration rates for members; early bird ends August 16. plenary sessions focus on: 
  • Innovation and Technology Advances – Why It Matters 
  • Leadership: Waterpower and Clean Energy, Infrastructure, and Jobs
  • Investing in Waterpower 
See who is speaking and what’s in store at each session. 
Seeking  your feedback  –on how to respond to RFI on Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Climate Technology NHA wants to appropriately represent views of membership in feedback to DOE on barriers to entry to DOE funding opportunities. View Request for Information. Contact Luciana Ciocci at luciana@hydro.org with your recommendations for response.
Recent Press Releases posted on www.hydro.org:

Waterpower Trivia Break…

Time to test your waterpower knowledge! Each Playbook edition, we’ll present you with a hydropower or marine energy brainteaser. QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How many Roundtable Dialogue sessions are on the schedule for Clean Currents? The first three respondents with the correct answer will be announced on the next NHA Member’s Playbook. Email your answer to info@hydro.org Answer to last week’s question: Georgia has 41 exisiting hydropower facilities. Attend Clean Currents in Atlanta, GA and take advantage of the opportunity to tour two of Georgia’s hydropower facilities on October 19. Learn More Here

Committee Corner

Find out more and get involved in NHA’s Committees & Councils here Hydraulic Power Committee 
  • A New Way for the HPC to Connect and Learn – find out more 
  • NHA filed comments with the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) in response to proposed dam safety administrative actions.   

Legislative Affairs Committee 
Marine Energy Council 
Markets Committee 
 Pumped Storage Development Council 
  • NHA members requested that DOE examine new methods and materials used for reservoir liners, especially in the case of off-stream PSH.  
  • DOE drafted a scope of work for this study and is now asking for input from industry stakeholders. If you have any comments on the draft scope of work, contact cameron@hydro.org.

Regulatory Affairs Committee
 Small Hydro Council 
 Waterpower Innovation Council 

Movers & Shakers

Colonel Geoff Van Epps has assumed duties as the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Northwestern Division (largest division of the Corps; 29 hydropower plants, 77 dams and reservoirs, and 1,600 miles of navigable channels within its jurisdiction 
Kate Stirr now leads overall Communications and External Affairs work at Natel Energy 
Bureau of Reclamation names Michael Norris as the new Area Manager of its Yuma Area Office, in the Lower Colorado Basin Region 
Have Movers & Shakers tips? Email Us: info@hydro.org

Learn & Connect

How NHA is helping its members connect, learn, network, and do business with each other and the entire waterpower industry
August 5, 2-3 PM ET – Meeting for Future Leaders of Hydropower (FLOW) Add to calendar
August 15-16: NHA’s Alaska Regional Meeting
  • Registration Open – NHA’s 2021 Alaska Regional is quickly approaching. The event is August 16 at the Lakefront Anchorage. We will kick off the event with a welcome reception on Sunday evening, August 15. Speakers include Alaska Energy Authority, Alaska Center of Energy and Power, Nushagak Cooperative, Homer Electric Association, and more! Register here.

Women in Hydropower Mentorship Program is accepting applications for the 2021-2022 mentorship cycle. Learn more about the mentorship program! 
Read helpful articles about how to connect and learn in NHA’s POWERHOUSE media platform 
Join Clean Currents’ plenary sessions to hear perspectives of featured panelists: 
  • Jay Anders, Chief Operating Officer of Rye Development, and chair of the National Hydropower Association’s board of directors
  • Stan W. Connally, Jr., Executive Vice President, Operations, Southern Company and CEO, Southern Company Services, Inc. (invited)
  • Stanley Kocon, Chief Executive Officer of Voith Hydro Inc., and co-chair of the National Hydropower Association’s CEO Council
  • Dr. Danielle Merfeld, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, GE Renewable Energy
  • Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and Acting Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy (invited) 

NHA Congratulates…

Schnabel Engineering’s Sharon Krock, for being featured in the U.S. Society of Dams’ Women in Industry 
Great River Hydro and Idaho Power Company, for being selected to receive technical assistance from Department of Energy national labs’ expertise and capabilities to help them address challenges and capture new opportunities for their hydro systems 

Getting On Your Radar…

Due Dates and Deadlines 
  • August 6: deadline to apply for an Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) award. Learn More
  • August 9: Nominations due for NHA Board of Directors. Submit a nomination here 
  • September 7, 2021: Full application submission due for providing inputto DOE on a proposed definition of “inadequate electric service” in Section 242 
External Webinars 
  • July 28, 3:00-4:00pm ET – Contributing Data and Information to PRIMRE Register here 
  • August 11, 1:00–5:00 p.m. ET – Seeding Water Power Innovation: An R&D Showcase Register here 

Operational Excellence (OpEx) Program

  • Featured OpEx Event report: Dropped Crane Bus. Contractors were working from two aerial lifts when an unsecured section of the crane bus they were removing slipped and fell to the powerhouse floor below.  Read the detailed event report.  
  • Raise the hydropower industry’s standard of performance – submit an event report!  
  • Join the discussion and take part in the OpEx Discussion Board. By sharing through this private, secure forum, you can contribute to crucial knowledge transfer in the hydroelectric field. The discussion board features a general HPC forum, a forum specific to Dam Safety as well as one specific to Operations & Maintenance. 

Membership Tip of the Week

To ensure useful emails to you from NHA (National Hydropower Association) get into your inbox, please take these 4 actions 1)      Add these 3 addresses to your email contacts in your email application (e.g., Outlook)  nha@hydro.org  powerhouse@hydro.org  events@hydro.org  2)      “Favorite” these 3 addresses  nha@hydro.org  powerhouse@hydro.org  events@hydro.org  Here’s how to favorite:  In Outlook – right click on email sender; click on “Add to Favorites”  In Gmail – move to primary inbox  In Apple Mail- add to “VIP list”  3)      Add the hydro.org, informz.net, and sendgrid.net domains to your email allowlist (or “safe sender list”)  4)      Ask your IT department to allow email (“allowlist”) to be received from these “from” addresses and sending domains 

NHA Welcomes New Member, BHI Energy!

BHI Energy provides maintenance, modification and repair services to hydroelectric power generation facilities in the U.S. and Canada.  Our proven performance on turbine/generator upgrades and balance of plant services provides great value for all OEM hydro equipment.  We provide turnkey equipment installations, outage support and preventative maintenance services, and can quickly respond to emergent repairs.  We leverage a unique resource management approach, learning culture and emphasis on safety with first-time quality.    Building on over two decades of experience, we deliver cost-effective solutions resulting in improved plant performance and profitability to ensure our customers’ hydro projects are completed safely, on schedule and on budget.  For more information, contact Mark Ruis, VP of BHI Renewables at mark.ruis@bhienergy.com. 

Industry Job Opportunities

Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) is hiring a Dam Safety Engineer 
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking a Senior Hydropower Engineer 
July 28 deadline! The Environmental Research Institute (ERI), seeking to recruit a dynamic Researcher to support their ecology work within the ROBINSON project and to expand their portfolio of ornithology-related research. 
July 30 deadline! The University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, is seeking an Energy Knowledge Exchange Coordinator to be the primary university interface into the energy business community enabling collaborative research projects. Applications due by 30 July 2021. 

Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities

Upcoming Events

  • July 29 4PM ET: Small Hydropower Council Call 
  • August 2 2PM ET: Legislative Affairs Committee Call – Add to Calendar 
  • August 3 2PM ET: Marine Energy Council Member Meeting 
  • August 5: Future Leaders of Waterpower (FLOW) Member Call
  • August 6: Applications for Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) Due 
  • August 9: NHA Board of Directors Nominations Due. Submit a nomination here
  • August 12 3PM ET: Return to Workplace Webinar
  • August 12 4PM ET: Small Hydropower Council Call
  • August 16-17: Alaska Regional Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska
  • September 7-24:World Hydropower Congress, Virtual, organized by International Hydropower Association in partnership with the Government of Costa Rica
  • October 20-22: Clean Currents, Atlanta, Georgia  
  • April 5-7, 2022: Waterpower Week in Washington 

Association Overview – Fast Facts 

Membership is corporate — no limit to the number of employees who can participate. ALL of your staff has access to NHA’s full suite of services at no additional cost. NHA is member driven. Member organizations get:
  • A vocal national champion for hydropower in all of its forms, including all marine energy technologies
  • An advocate for improved regulatory, legislative, and wholesale electricity markets policies for the hydropower industry
  • Lobbying on behalf of the industry, on Capitol Hill, at federal agencies, and within the administration on hydropower issues
  • Employee involvement, engagement, and education, through topic-focused committees and councils (see below for the list*)
    • By participating in the committees/councils, your employees work and learn alongside peers, clients, colleagues, and potential clients on issues important to them.
    • From this work, your employees have unique opportunities to learn, share industry expertise, network, and build strong relationships.
    • NHA’s Board of Directors use the input of the committees and councils to set the strategic plan of the organization.

NHA Committee and Council Topics*

  • Communicating Hydro’s Message to Various Constituencies
  • Hydraulic Power/Operational Excellence (includes plant operations and maintenance, dam safety, human safety)
  • Innovation/Research and Development (Waterpower Innovation Council)
  • Legal Affairs
  • Legislation
  • Marine Energy
  • Organizational Leadership (CEO Council)
  • Pumped Storage Development
  • Regulations/Licensing
  • Small Hydro
  • Wholesale Electricity Markets
Committees and councils are led by industry members and work through conference calls, emails, webcasts, and face-to-face meetings. There is no limit to the number of employees who can participate in any of these committees and councils.

What will NHA do for your organization? 

  • Advocate to preserve and expand hydropower in all its forms, including all marine energy technologies
  • Provide an avenue to ‘weigh in’ on a variety of issues important to your organization and forge industry attention on your current and/or emerging challenges
  • Connect your employees with other hydropower professionals, and create forums to build relationships and facilitate business
  • Provide insights to your employees about timely policy and industry developments
  • Create opportunities for member-to-member communication and connection (through the online Member Portal)
  • Conduct an annual safety survey of asset owners and share results with NHA members
  • Provide a tool to assist in managing aging assets, training your workforce, improving workplace safety, avoiding forced outages and reduce costs, and help avoid problematic events experienced by others
  • Get real-time information on operations issues from your peers
  • Offer discounts on cost of attending, exhibiting at, and/or sponsoring NHA-organized industry events (Clean Currents, Waterpower Week, Regional Meeting Series and others)
  • Promote your organization – at time of joining, each member is invited to provide an article for placement in the association’s member newsletter, NHA Member Playbook, introducing its organization to the entire membership and recognizing you as a leader in this market
By joining NHA, you put your organization ‘in the know’ on emerging issues and help your team proactively prepare for changing policies that undoubtedly will affect you.

What are the specific benefits my company and my employees get when we join NHA?

Reduced rates for attending, exhibiting at, and/or sponsoring:
  • Clean Currents, NHA’s new industry-wide tradeshow + conference
  • Waterpower Week, NHA’s premiere policy conference for the North American industry
  • Regional meetings held throughout the United States each year
Free organization listing with your company logo and company profile on NHA’s website.  Traffic is directed to your website through a link.  Buyers can use it as a resource for products and services offered by NHA members Access to
  • NHA Portal, where employees can:
    • sign up for committees and councils
    • join discussions
    • connect with other members
    • manage their profiles
    • access member-only information
  • Member-only Operational Excellence (OpEx) online resource tool
    • Its purpose is for industry to learn from each other to improve operations, safety, environmental performance and reduce unplanned outages
    • Compilation of more than 250 event reports submitted by NHA member organizations at their hydro projects, resulting in more than 1,000 lessons learned and corrective actions
    • Only confidential event reporting program/database available in the hydropower industry
    • Serves as a clearinghouse of all hydropower operation-related information
    • Useful tool for improving operations, workplace safety, and a training resource
  • Subscription to a bi-weekly newsletter (e-mailed every other Wednesday), NHA Member Playbook, to keep your employees informed and up to date and to help plan their schedules

What does NHA membership cost?

Asset Owners: Annual membership dues are based on installed capacity of North American hydropower assets.

Product and Service Providers and Project or Technology Developers: Dues are based on only the North American hydropower portion of your revenues.

 
2025 Dues Categories for Product and Service Suppliers – Annual Revenue Ranges Dues
Platinum Leadership > $50 mil $37,770
Leadership $20 mil – $50 mil $26,406
Large $5 mil – $20 mil $20,878
Medium $1 mil – $5 mil $14,737
Established $ 500K – $1 mil $9,829
Small $250k – $500k $5,962
Supporting <$250k $3,068
The 2025 membership dues rate for Academic Institutions is $1,412. Dues are based on a calendar year and will be prorated, based on the time of year you join. Click here to begin the online application process.   

Where does your investment go?

Every dollar NHA receives from membership dues and fees for attending /exhibiting /sponsoring at NHA-organized events goes to:
  • Elevating waterpower’s voice in regulatory and market issues
  • Building NHA’s internal capacity to effectively engage on policy and affect change, including:
    • Reform of the U.S. federal licensing process
    • Tax credits and other incentives for new hydropower project development and capacity additions at existing facilities
  • Expanding NHA’s advocacy beyond federal advocacy to wholesale markets in specific regions throughout the U.S.
  • Cultivating new allies to achieve legislative priorities
  • Maintaining a unique event reporting program and database that receives, distributes, and catalogs hydro operating experiences, best practices, and lessons learned (OpEx)
  • Creating forums (both in person and virtual) for member employees to connect with other hydropower professionals, build relationships, learn from one another, and facilitate business
  • Building a “Hydro Academy” to offer continuing education for individuals working in the industry

Awards

Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters

The Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) awards annually recognize deserving organizations in the waterpower industry for projects that exhibit exemplary operational, educational, historical, recreational, or environmental enhancement and stewardship. Each year, NHA presents the OSAW awards at Clean Currents. Learn more about the OSAW awards and submit an application for this year’s competition.

Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award

The Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award, NHA’s highest individual honor, is presented annually to an individual within the waterpower industry who exhibits dedication to waterpower as an energy technology; persistence in the face of institutional obstacles; appreciation and understanding of the relationships among project engineering, environment and economics; a strong commitment for fair dealing and plain speaking; and uncommon energy, enthusiasm, and excitement as a leading force in the industry.

PAST CHAIRS’ LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

This annual award was created in 2008 by NHA Past Chairs to support future industry leaders as they complete their education.

The Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award recognizes an early-career professional not exceeding the age of 35, with 3 to 10 years of total professional experience, who demonstrates not only ongoing leadership, but a commitment to grow their career and leadership roles within the water power industry.

Applications for the OSAW 2025 Award will open Spring of 2025.

Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) honors deserving organizations in the hydropower and marine energy industry for projects that exhibit exemplary operational, educational, historical, recreational, or environmental enhancement and stewardship.
Hydropower’s proven track record of providing a domestic source of clean, renewable, and reliable electricity for more than 125 years is no accident. It has taken hard work, perseverance, creativity, innovation, and a collaborative spirit. Today, these same values are also driving a new generation of hydropower projects that harness the power of oceans, tides, man-made conduits and other waterways, in addition to rivers.

OSAW’s History

In 1994, the National Hydropower Association (NHA) created the Hydro Achievement Awards to recognize organizations and projects committed to excellence in the development and operation of hydropower. In 1999, NHA added the Outstanding Stewardship of America’s Rivers (OSAR) Report to profile the best examples of hydropower’s ability to generate clean, renewable, reliable and affordable electricity while protecting the riverine ecosystem. Beginning in 2007, these two recognition programs were merged to more effectively provide recognition to deserving organizations and to reflect the changing nature of the hydropower industry, particularly the fact that hydropower can be used in various waterways. The new award program is called the Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW).

Learn about Previous OSAW Winners:

2024 OSAW Recipients

Operational Excellence
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Benton Conservation District: Salmon Summit
Public Education
Recreational, Environmental, or Historical Enhancement

2023 OSAW Recipients

Operational Excellence
Recreational, Environmental, or Historical Enhancement

2021 OSAW Recipients

Operational Excellence
  Recreational, Environmental, or Historical Enhancement

IN THIS EDITION…

NHA’s Scouting Report
Latest on how NHA is working on your behalf
Committee Corner
The Latest about Committee and Council activities
On Your Radar…
The latest deadlines, reminders, & alerts
Movers & Shakers
See who has been moving around lately
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for upcoming NHA Events

The Latest: Thank you all for a great National Hydropower Day!

Yesterday was National Hydropower Day, and it ended as a very impactful day of engagement thanks to you, members of the waterpower industry.

Social media engagement was widespread, and we received a notable tweet from Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in recognition of the day. The day was full of content including NHA’s interview with Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk which you can find on NHA’s National Hydropower Day webpage. Check out NHA’s National Hydropower Day page here! To see the widespread industry engagement, you can search the hashtag #HydroDay on social media platforms. 

NHA’s Scouting Report

NHA was able to secure the presence of BOTH U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Senator Lisa Murkowski at its Alaska Regional Meeting. Read / watch their comments.

Waterpower Trivia Break…

Time to test your waterpower knowledge! Each Playbook edition, we’ll present you with a hydropower or marine energy brainteaser.   QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How long would it take the recently dedicated Red Rock Hydroelectric Project  to fill an olympic-sized swimming pool?   The first three respondents with the correct answer will be announced on the next NHA Member’s Playbook. Email your answer toinfo@hydro.org   Answer to last week’s question: Boulder City, NV was established to house the project workers during the construction of the Hoover Dam. Congratulations to Christian Porse from Mavel Americas, Inc. for submitting the correct response!  

Upcoming Events

  • September 7 at 1 PM ET: DOE LPO Program – Financing Hydropower Add to Calendar
  • September 7 at 2 PM ET: NHA Legislative Affairs Committee Monthly Meeting Add to Calendar
  • September 7: Last chance to review NHA’s 2021 Pumped Storage Report
  • September 7: Full application submission due for providing inputto DOE on a proposed definition of “inadequate electric service” in Section 242  
  • September 7-24:World Hydropower Congress, Virtual, organized by International Hydropower Association in partnership with the Government of Costa Rica 
  • October 5 at 3 PM ET: NHA Marine Energy Council Monthly Meeting
  • October 18-22: Clean Currents,Atlanta, Georgia   
  • December 8-9: NHA California Regional Meeting, San Diego, CA
  • April 5-7, 2022: Waterpower Week in Washington

Committee Corner

Find out more and get involved in NHA’s Committees & Councils here Hydraulic Power Committee   
Legislative Affairs:  
Marine Energy Council   
Pumped Storage Development Council 
  • September 7 at 1 PM ET – Last chance to review the PSH development council’s 2021 report! Send any edits to Cameron@hydro.org by September 7th. See attached
 
 Small Hydro Council 
  • Answers to questions raised on August 12 Small Hydro Council meeting
 
 Waterpower Innovation Council 
  • Featured Waterpower Research Portal (WaRP) Project: Aging Reservoirs, Climate, Operations, and Potential Cumulative Impacts to Water Quality, Clarity and Fisheries and Recreation
  • Join the Clean Currents workshop “Deploying and Implementing Innovative Technology: How to Remove Barriers and Overcome Challenges“, organized by NHA’s Waterpower Innovation Council (WIC)
  • Browse through the nearly 290 innovative research projects within the WaterPower Research Portal (WaRP). If you have research you’d like to share, submit it here.

Movers & Shakers

Bureau of Reclamation Names Jacklynn (Jaci) Gould the Deputy Regional Director for its Lower Colorado Region
Have Movers & Shakers tips? Email Us: info@hydro.org

Learn & Connect

How NHA is helping its members connect, learn, network, and do business with each other and the entire waterpower industry
Clean Currents – a Week of Activities On the Monday and Tuesday of the Clean Currents week (week of October 18), you can sign up for all kinds of interesting and fun activities – golf, hydro plant tours, FERC 101 workshop, dinner at Cuts Steakhouse, and the list goes on. Check out the Schedule at a Glance.  

  Read helpfularticles about how to connect and learnin NHA’s POWERHOUSE media platform     

NHA Congratulates…

American Electric Power (AEP) for being named to Forbes’ Best Employers for Women 2021 list
Una Nowling at Black & Veatch for being named the recipient of the 2021 “Women in STEMM Champion Award” by the Central Exchange, a 41-year-old community for Kansas City-area women leaders
Schnabel Engineering, for its role in the award-winning North Fork Dam rehabilitation

Getting On Your Radar…

Due Dates and Deadlines 
External Webinars
  • Pumped Storage and Small Hydro Development: September 7th at 1PM ET, officials from DOE will provide an overview of recent changes to the loan programs as it relates to hydropower and pumped storage. Add to Calendar
  • September 15 at 5:00 PM ET: DOE WPTO in Alaska. Join representatives from WPTO as they share the work they are doing along the coasts and waterways of Alaska and offer insights into what could be next for water power in The Last Frontier. Register here
 

Operational Excellence (OpEx) Program

Featured OpEx Event report: Hydraulic Oil Release to Tailrace. Hydraulic Turbine Oil released into the Waters of the US (WOTUS) during operations of hydroelectric plant.  Read the detailed event report.
Raise the hydropower industry’s standard of performance – submit an event report!

Membership Tip of the Week

Tip: Want all your NHA emails in one folder in Outlook? Set up a rule so that emails from @hydro.org and @hydroexcellence.org go into one folder. (Thanks to members Duke Energy and HDR, Inc. for the tip!)

Industry Job Opportunities


Check out all job opportunities on NHA’s Job Board 

Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities

2025 Henwood Award Submissions Will Open in Late Spring 2025

Introduction

Hydropower is a unique and essential energy resource. So too, are those who become involved in this great industry. Individuals who work for the hydropower industry spend their careers preserving and improving upon it. They are dedicated and caring individuals whose achievements make a difference for the industry as a whole. They provide leadership, courage and strength. Dr. Kenneth Henwood, a developer and lover of the hydro resource, possessed these attributes. It seems a fitting tribute that he became the namesake of NHA’s most prestigious individual award to recognize life-time achievement grounded in a commitment and love for the resource with the courage of leadership and vision. Created in 1990, the award honors this unique individual, and most importantly, pays tribute to those dedicated and caring individuals who have given so much of themselves to hydropower and the hydropower industry. The award is industry’s highest honor and is presented to those who show great leadership and dedication to hydropower in the spirit of its namesake, Dr. Henwood.

Nominations

The Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award is presented to an individual within the hydro industry who exhibits:
  • Dedication to hydropower as an energy technology;
  • Persistence in the face of institutional obstacles;
  • Appreciation and understanding of the relationships among project engineering, environment and economics;
  • A strong commitment for fair dealing and plain speaking; and
  • Uncommon energy, enthusiasm, and excitement as a leading force in the industry.

Past Winners of the NHA Henwood Award

2024 Henwood Recipient: John Ragonese

The National Hydropower Association (NHA) is pleased to announce John Ragonese as the recipient of the 2024 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at the fourth-annual Clean Currents. The Henwood Award is the hydropower industry’s highest honor and celebrates a lifetime of achievement to those who demonstrate great leadership in the hydropower field. In recognition of Dr. Kenneth Henwood’s dedication to the industry, Thoma was selected by a committee of his peers for this prestigious honor.

2023 Henwood Recipient: Alvin Thoma

The National Hydropower Association (NHA) is pleased to announce Alvin Thoma as the recipient of the 2023 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at the third-annual Clean Currents. The Henwood Award is the hydropower industry’s highest honor and celebrates a lifetime of achievement to those who demonstrate great leadership in the hydropower field. In recognition of Dr. Kenneth Henwood’s dedication to the industry, Thoma was selected by a committee of his peers for this prestigious honor.

2022 Henwood Recipient: Mary Gail Sullivan

The National Hydropower Association (NHA) is pleased to announce Mary Gail Sullivan as the recipient of the 2022 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at the second-annual Clean Currents. The Henwood Award is the hydropower industry’s highest honor and celebrates a lifetime of achievement to those who demonstrate great leadership in the hydropower field. In recognition of Dr. Kenneth Henwood’s dedication to the industry, May Gail Sullivan was selected by a committee of her peers for this prestigious honor.

2021 Henwood Recipient: Tom Sullivan

The National Hydropower Association (NHA) is pleased to announce Tom Sullivan, PE as the recipient of the 2021 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at Clean Currents in Atlanta, GA. The Henwood Award is the hydropower industry’s highest honor and celebrates a lifetime of achievement to those who show great leadership. In recognition of his dedication to the industry, Sullivan was selected by a committee of his peers.

2020 Henwood Recipient: Mark Gerken

The National Hydropower Association (NHA) is pleased to announce Marc S. Gerken, PE as the recipient of the 2020 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at Waterpower Week in Washington. The Henwood Award is the hydropower industry’s highest honor and celebrates a lifetime of achievement to those who show great leadership. In recognition of his dedication to the industry, Gerken was selected by a committee of his peers.

2019 Henwood Recipient: Linda Church Ciocci

Linda Church Ciocci was presented with the 2019 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at Waterpower Week in Washington. Ciocci was selected by a committee of her peers in recognition of herlife-long dedication to the hydropower industry. “In many ways, Linda has been the compass for our industry. She has been at the forefront of every hydro policy discussion, regulatory proposal and legislative initiative for three decades. She has worked tirelessly to promote hydro, in all of its forms, as the leading renewable source of energy,” said Herbie Johnson, Immediate Past President, National Hydropower Association. In addition to leading NHA as President and CEO, she served as executive director of the Hydropower Foundation; served on the Business Council for Sustainable Energy’s Board of Directors; as vice chair of the Energy and Environment Study Institute’s Board of Directors; and three terms on the U.S. Department of Commerce Federal Advisory Committee on Renewable Energy. She was also a founding member of the American Council on Renewable Energy. In 2009, she was named one of the 60 most influential people in the industry by International Water Power & Dam Construction. And in 2014, she received the Women with Hydro Vision Award by HydroVision International.

2018 Henwood Recipient: Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy was presented with the 2018 Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award at Waterpower Week in Washington. Murphy was selected by a committee of his peers in recognition of his life-long dedication to the hydropower industry. Murphy retired in January, ending a more than 30-year career in the hydropower industry. Prior to retiring, Murphy was Vice-President and National Market Director for Hydropower with TRC, an engineering, environmental consulting and construction management firm with offices across the country.

Dr. Kenneth Henwood – A Biography

Kenneth Henwood was born in Kansas City, MO, and grew up in San Jose, CA. He received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Civil Engineering and a doctorate in Environmental Science from the University of California at Davis. Henwood founded Henwood Energy Services Inc, a consulting firm based in Sacramento that specializes in licensing and relicensing hydropower projects. Today, the firm is led by his brother, Mark, who has remained active in hydro licensing and development. Ken was a strong believer in hydropower as an environmentally preferable energy source. At age 45, he died of injuries suffered from a fall while working on plans for a plant in the mountains near Georgetown, Calif. He is well remembered by those individuals who met and worked with him. Henwood spent a great deal of time working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Ron Corso was head of the hydropower licensing division at that time and describes Henwood as “very committed to hydro development” and as a person who “went about the business of developing hydro projects with an intensity, dedication and a passion for seeing his work become a reality.” Reflecting on the career of this dedicated lover of hydro, Corso said,
“Henwood never wavered or let obstacles deter him from his passion; he became successful because he truly believed in what he was doing.”
Former NHA President Gail Greely once said Henwood’s degrees in engineering and environmental science allowed him to both design projects and to intelligently supervise environmental study work. She said of him,
“He could do it all; I have never known anybody like Ken before, and I never will again.”

Past Recipients of the NHA Henwood Award

2007: R. Michael Akridge 2006: Ronald A. Corso 2005: Dan E. Jarvis 2004: Jerry Sabattis 2003: Julie Keil 2002: John J. Devine 2001: Nathaniel Willis Washington 2000: Wayne Elkins 1999: Don Clarke 1998: Leslie Eden & Carl Vansant 1997: Larry Wimer 1996: Gordon Marker 1995: Wayne Rogers 1994: Carol H. Cunningham & Brian K. Billinson 1993: Mark Sundquist 1992: John McMahan 1991: Gail Greely  
 

RivGen® Power System Commercialization Project

Summary

  Ocean Renewable Power Company successfully deployed the RivGen® Power System, a submersible hydrokinetic system designed for river and shallow tidal applications. RivGen supplied one-third of the power for the remote Alaskan village of Igiugig – demonstrating the viability of the marine energy technology for rural communities worldwide.

Background and Challenge

The cost of generating electricity in Igiugig is nearly $0.80/kWh (the national average is $0.10/kWh) due to its reliance on diesel generation. This project was a critical and positive step forward in reducing the cost and environmental impacts of electricity generation in Igiugig and “islanded” rural river communities of millions of people worldwide. Finding affordable energy is often key to their sustainability. By successfully installing and operating a submersible hydrokinetic system designed for river and shallow tidal applications in a remote, off-grid community and offsetting the community’s diesel fuel consumption by one-third with economical, clean, locally-produced, renewable energy source, ORPC met and accomplished the goals set forth in this project.

Innovation

ORPC’s RivGen® Power System was designed to facilitate installation and retrieval using local equipment, resources and personnel. The turbine generator unit (TGU) is connected to an innovative pontoon support structure which is submerged and raised to the river surface using ballasting. This process eliminates the need for significant marine assets and can be achieved with the use of a small support vessel and an air compression unit.

Results

2015 RivGen® project highlights include: 1. The successful “self-deployment” of the RivGen® device using only local vessels and labor; 2. Interconnection with the Igiugig distribution grid, through which the RivGen® System delivered about one-third of the community’s electricity needs; 3. Demonstration of the efficacy of ORPC’s latest technological enhancements; 4. The collection of significant environmental interaction data during the project, including approximately 1.35 million adult sockeye salmon passing by the device in a 3-day period. Through the project’s biological studies, no obvious physical injuries to fish were detected, and no altered behavior by wildlife near the RivGen® device observed. 5. The University of Washington, a partner in the Northwest National Marine Renewable EnergyCenter, participated in the project as part of a U.S. Dept. of Energy funded project to develop advanced control systems for marine hydrokinetic devices to improve performance of such devices in turbulent current conditions.

Stakeholder Quotes

On July 1, ORPC hosted Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in Igiugig to show her the RivGen® device prior to deployment. Following her tour of the RivGen® Project, Sen. Murkowski remarked, “The system being tested at Igiugig offers tremendous promise for so many of Alaska’s nearly 100 villages located along rivers to finally be able to use the power of nature’s flowing water in an economic and environmentally sensitive way. This is an important project because it could provide a blueprint for how to reduce rural electricity costs in the future.” “Igiugig Village has welcomed ORPC for another deployment season, and the community has participated in and watched each milestone with enthusiasm and support. The combination of the ORPC professionals with our local contractors has once again made an awesome team resulting in a very successful operation,” said AlexAnna Salmon, Igiugig Village Council President. “The Kvichak River is now putting clean power into our local grid without a glitch and the community is triumphant!”
  NHA created the Past Chairs’ Legacy Scholarship in 2008 to encourage students to consider becoming part of the U.S. waterpower industry. Our growing industry has professionals in many different fields, including engineering, IT, biology, environmental sciences, forestry, hydrology, animal sciences, management, financial services, communications, and other areas. Many companies also offer high-paying skilled labor and technical positions. Contributions from NHA, the Hydropower Foundation, organizations throughout the industry, and individual givers fund the NHA Past Chairs’ Legacy Scholarship. We encourage everyone who supports the future of clean, renewable, affordable energy to join us in making tax-deductible contributions. NHA encourages industry companies to distribute information about the scholarship program to their employees, alma maters, local universities, trade schools, and community colleges. If you know of a deserving student, please forward the application materials.

PAST WINNERS

2024: Kiersten Wilson – Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines 2022 and 2023: Cesar Bedolla-Hurtado – Civil Engineering, Washington State University 2021: Addie Daniels – Civil Engineering, LeTourneau University 2020: Jon Cowart – Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University 2019:  Jarrett Nugen – Civil Engineering, Western Michigan University. 2018: Alec Jobbins – Mechanical Engineering, University of California – Berkeley. 2017:  Jeremy Price – Regional Planning – Environmental and Land Use Planning, University of Massachusetts – Amherst. 2016: Andrew Shea – Environmental and Natural Resources and Philosophy, Ohio State 2015: Scott Schenkelberg – Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska – Lincoln 2014: Thomas John Decker, Environmental Engineering, State University of New York College; and Nicole Peterson, Information Science and Technology, University of Wyoming. 2013: Christopher Budrow – Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University 2012: Kaitlyn Martin – Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines 2011:  Andrew Longenecker – Science, Environment and Resources, Stanford University 2010: Namratha Gudemaranahalli – Biology, West Virginia University 2009: Erica Hanley – Hydrological Engineering, specializing in Subsurface Hydrology, The Colorado School of Mines 2008: William C. Garrard – Information Science and Technology, Penn State

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

Beginning in early 2025, the National Hydropower Association will accept applications for the 2025 NHA Past Chairs’ Legacy Scholarship.  The $2,500 scholarship goes to a promising young person who demonstrates the academic skills and commitment to help create the next generation of leaders in the waterpower industry.

Application Details

Who: (1) current college sophomores or juniors who will be college juniors or seniors beginning fall 2023, or graduate students with a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) GPA who are enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate course of study at an accredited four-year college or university; (2) Applicants must be students with an equivalent GPA at an accredited vocational-technical school or program. All applicants must be U.S. Citizens or legal residents. Applicant must be pursuing a program of study that is related to the waterpower industry: Engineering, sciences (biology, fisheries, and hydrology), communications, or environmental studies. Applications will open in Early 2025. Deadline: Application: Will Open Early 2025 Send application to: The National Hydropower Association Past Chairs’ Legacy Scholarship Program Scholarship Management Services One Scholarship Way Saint Peter, MN 56082
 

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Working in Waterpower

The National Hydropower Association serves as a conduit to connect individuals interested in career opportunities in the waterpower sector (conventional hydro, pumped storage, and marine energy) with companies and organizations looking for employees.

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Available throughout the year. Please contact Kimberly Costner with inquiries or questions.

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Career Center

The NHA Job Board is an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for members and non-members. Job seekers can browse current vacancies, post an anonymous resume and create new job alerts. Employers can post a job or browse the resume bank to find the right candidate. The NHA Job Board is the only job board that uses job posting fees to support, advocate for, and advance the hydro industry.

Find or Post a Job

Floating Fish Collector

Summary

  Utilizing new technology to return salmon populations to the watershed, Tacoma Power developed the Floating Fish Collector at the Cushman Hydroelectric Project. Their innovative system pumps water to screens off fish, while the surface-to-floor nets guide smolts toward the collector. This dynamic project is a leap forward in technology and design, ultimately helping restore fish populations on the North Fork Skokomish River.

Background and Challenge

Tacoma Power’s Cushman Hydroelectric Project provides clean, renewable electricity with two dams and three powerhouses on the North Fork Skokomish River. The Floating Fish Collector, attached to Cushman Dam No. 1, collects juvenile salmon migrating to the ocean. The 50-foot-wide, 100-foot-long barge pumps water as it screens off fish. It includes surface-to-floor nets that guide smolts toward the collector.

Innovation

The entire collector, including the nets and Net Transition Structure, has to be able to rise and fall, withstand epic storm conditions, collect fish within the entire reservoir operating range and allow employees to safely get on and off. The collector puts a 150,000-pound load on the dam through the connection during extreme storm events. Engineers built a space-age structural connection that includes a cutting-edge, shock-absorbing connector to anchor the aft end of the collector. This connection allows for the FSC to roll, pitch, move up and down freely, and compress if needed.

Results

It is a dynamic example of how community collaboration can inspire a leap forward in technology and design, ultimately helping restore fish populations on the North Fork Skokomish River. Additionally, it will provide much-needed data about Lake Cushman fish – total populations, timing of how they move, how they approach the collector.

Stakeholder Quotes

“The Skokomish Indian Tribe congratulates the City of Tacoma on the completion of the Floating Surface Collector; it is a major accomplishment and a cornerstone project toward achieving Skokomish Watershed natural resource recovery and management goals. The City has demonstrated a commitment as a watershed partner throughout the design, construction and deployment of this installation. We look forward to continue working with the City on this project, and others that are currently being implemented and projects that are still in the planning stages.” – Joseph Pavel, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Natural Resources Director “I will be excited to see this new era of the Cushman Project going forward, with anadromous fish once again inhabiting Lake Cushman and the upper North Fork Skokomish River. It’s really gratifying, after a very long relicensing process and eventual collaboration among many stakeholders, to see the results in a Floating Surface Collector specifically adapted to the Cushman Project. The land and waterscape of Lake Cushman makes locating and the sighting of the guide and barrier net at Cushman more complicated than others. We addressed that by exploring a lot of different options with the design/engineering team at Tacoma Power. There was a lot of challenge in trying to include all of the necessary functions in a more compactly scaled FSC design. The Cushman FSC has a smaller attraction flow, but the overall dimensions are smaller too, making it challenging to fit components that don’t scale down so readily. A tram delivers a hopper containing collected smolts down the side of Cushman Dam No. 2. It is clever and definitely has a WOW factor. The same tram also transfers adult fish collected at the adult collection facility to handling facilities near the top of the dam. Although it has only just begun operations, I fully expect the Cushman FSC to become yet another example that efficient downstream fish passage is indeed possible and productive at high-head storage hydro projects.” – Steve Fransen, Fishery Biologist, National Marine Fisheries Service

IN THIS EDITION…

NHA’s Scouting Report
Latest on how NHA is working on your behalf
Committee Corner
The Latest about Committee and Council activities
On Your Radar…
The latest deadlines, reminders, & alerts
Movers & Shakers
See who has been moving around lately
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for upcoming NHA Events

The Latest: Read NHA’s CEO Update for Q1!

NHA concluded our Board meeting last week with a focus on the exciting policy and networking opportunities in the months ahead. Here are the four top take-aways: 1. Update on NHA Leadership and Staffing Transitions – It is with bittersweet emotions that I share the news of Alvin Thoma’s upcoming retirement from PG&E in May. While many know Alvin as an accomplished engineer, I have relied upon Alvin’s sage counsel as chair of NHA’s Board when I joined in 2019 and as member of NHA’s Executive Committee. Alvin’s thoughtful, pragmatic, problem-solving demeanor has helped guide NHA through our leadership succession and the ongoing pandemic. He will be sorely missed in the industry, though my guess is that he will end up consulting with many of you! At the same time, I am delighted to announced that Joel Ledesma, Assistant General Manager, Generation Services of Northern California Power Authority, has been elected by the Board to fill the remaining 18 months of Alvin’s Board seat. A first time NHA Board member, Joel brings with him years of experience managing and operating major hydropower facilities. Welcome Joel! I am also excited to welcome Zolaikha Strong as NHA’s new Vice President of Government Affairs. A veteran of both the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Edison Electric Institute, Zolaikha has spent the last decade leading the Copper Development Association’s energy governmental affairs group. She understands how to forge consensus within business associations and how to build the coalitions needed to get things done in Washington. 2. Direction on Potential Legislative Infrastructure “Grand Bargain” – The Biden Administration and new Congress are creating exciting new policy opportunities, particularly around an expected infrastructure and climate initiative. Building on last October’s Uncommon Dialogue “Joint Statement of Collaboration” with the river and climate communities, the Board provided valuable feedback on NHA’s joint efforts to seek significant federal support for new and existing flexible, zero-carbon hydropower and pumped storage in exchange for significant federal support for investments in dam safety and/or removal of dams that are abandoned or determined by owners to be at end of their life. With the Board’s guidance, we were successful in finalizing an informal framework with the river and climate community that was sent to the White House. The framework recommends leveraging federal tax credits to encourage investments in dam safety, environmental improvements and/or grid flexibility updates for new or existing hydropower or pumped storage; provides conservation funding for removal of dams that have reached the end of their usefulness; invests in existing federal dams to accelerate decarbonization; and expands federal support for dam safety. As part of the effort, Congresswoman Kuster (D-NH) coordinated a letter with 39 other Representatives to call on President Biden to include robust funding for the rehabilitation, retrofit and removal of the nation’s 90,000 dams in the upcoming infrastructure package. Please join NHA’s Legislative Committee call on Monday, April 5, for an update on this initiative, as well as our ongoing efforts to secure licensing and relicensing reform, parity in federal climate legislation, and record DOE waterpower technology office appropriations. 3. Gearing up for the April Waterpower Week and International Conference on Ocean Energy Events. To learn how the new Administration and Congress may impact our industry and therefore, your organization, join us for Waterpower Week in Washington, which will be held virtually on April 27-29. Keynote speakers at NHA’s premier policy conference will include U.S. FERC Commissioner Allison Clements, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-WY), among 70 individuals participating in moderator-led panel discussion sessions. The early bird discount ends next week, so register here today. At the same time, ensure that waterpower’s message is heard on Capitol Hill by participating in virtual meetings with Congressional members and their staff.  NHA is also honored to host the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) on April 28-30. A recent DOE report found that marine energy has the technical resource potential to power 220 million U.S. homes. Join ICOE to hear how this nascent industry could prove to be the missing link in decarbonizing the electricity grid. 4. Feedback on NHA’s Target New Communications Platforms – The Board also provided feedback on NHA’s new communications platforms, each tailored to meet the needs of specific audiences:
  • Member Playbook –a biweekly e-newsletter to help existing NHA members get involved in and take advantage of NHA’s ongoing activities and connect with other NHA members; in addition to the newsletter, NHA is adding useful content to the members-only online Portal, making this a “go-to” repository of information and references useful to any employee of an NHA member organization
  • Powerhouse –a weekly e-newsletter and website to provide the broader North American waterpower industry with industry-specific insights and knowledge that can be applied on a day-to-day basis, leveraging exclusive articles written by NHA staff and guest authors, as well as articles pulled in from a variety of sources and presented to each recipient based on his/her behavior-based content preferences; and
  • Path to Clean Energy – a webinar series and e-newsletter to reach policy and industry influencers beyond the hydro industry to raise the waterpower’s profile and demonstrate how hydropower fits into the larger clean energy conversation.
Each of these new communications platforms were launched in recent months, so we welcome feedback. As you can see, there is so much is happening at NHA. But it wouldn’t be possible without your help and support. Thank you for all that you have done to help move our industry forward. Malcolm

NHA’s Scouting Report

The Second Circuit has upheld FERC’s finding of waiver of CWA 401 certification in NYDEC v. FERC, in which NHA along with Grand River Dam Authority filed an amicus brief supporting FERC.
In the know: The California Energy Commission (CEC) released the S.B. 100 final report and incorporated NHA’s comments on pumped storage growth.
NHA has been able to secure FERC Commissioner Allison Clements as a keynote speaker for virtual Waterpower Week – learn more here. Submit the questions you want us to ask her on your behalf – send questions to: marla@hydro.org
NHA recruited 4 college students to serve as Fellows. We are introducing them to you next Thursday. Not only can you meet these students – who are potential new hires for you – but you can hear, first-hand, the results of what they’ve been working on. Diego Antonio Guerrero: Project Financing of New Hydropower Development at Existing Non-Powered Dams – Lessons learned from case studies in the past 10 years and suggestions for improving future hydropower economics Arianna Drechsler: Federal Actors in Dam Removal Policy – Legal and Bureaucratic Influences in the Decommissioning  of Powered and Non-Powered Dams in the United States Brian Ziegler: Modernizing irrigation conduits with hydropower generation Connor Bevan: Dammed if you don’t – Industry perspectives on regulatory obstacles to and policy incentives for the electrification of non-powered federal dams in the United States
Let your contacts know that on March 30th at 12:00 pm ET for the National Hydropower Association’s Path to Clean Energy Virtual Event, “The Vast Potential of Marine Energy”. During this event, top officials within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waterpower Technologies Office, National Labs, Ocean Energy Europe and technology developers will discuss the potential market opportunities for marine energy (wave, tidal, ocean current, ocean thermal, and riverine marine).

Waterpower Trivia Break…

Congratulations to our trivia winners from last week: Carol Wasserman, Principal, New England Hydropower Company  Susan Craig, Director of Media Relations, New York Power Authority. Time to test your waterpower knowledge! Each Playbook edition, we’ll present you with a hydropower or marine energy brainteaser. QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Which U.S. President unveiled his National Energy Policy at a hydropower facility? And where did it take place? The first three respondents with the correct answer will be announced on the next Member’s Playbook. Email your answer to info@hydro.org. Answer to last week’s question: The Queen of England. The first turbine was installed in 1898 to provide electric light for Queen Victoria..

Outreach & Advocacy: NHA Helps Hydro’s Voice Be Heard

This spring, NHA is providing a special advocacy service to all companies in the waterpower industry to “make your voice heard”. Just because we are in a virtual world doesn’t mean we can’t raise waterpower’s value to the attention of Congress and ensure our policy messages are heard within the Beltway! NHA will arrange and facilitate virtual meetings for you with your Congressional representatives (members of Congress and their staff). These virtual meetings are being planned for the weeks of April 19 and May 3 – which are the week before or the week after NHA’s Waterpower Week conference.

Movers & Shakers

  • Kleinschmidt: Kelly Larimer Appointed to Chief Technical Officer and Trevor Lykens Appointed to Chief Operations Officer at Kleinschmidt
Have Movers & Shakers tips? Email Us: info@hydro.org

Committee Corner

Hydraulic Power Committee: Gain insights into your organization’s safety performance. Complete the Hydraulic Power Committee and Electric Utility Cost Group (EUCG) annual Safety Survey  – Responses Due March 26th.
Legislative Affairs Committee: Successfully finalized a  framework with the river and climate community that was sent to the White House recommending federal tax credits to encourage investments in dam safety, environmental improvements and grid flexibility; funding for removal of dams; and invest  in existing federal dams, expands federal support for dam safety. Additionally, we coordinated with Congresswoman Kuster’s (D-NH) office as she as she echoed the framework in a  letter that gained the support of 39 other Representatives who also signed on to call on President Biden to include robust funding for the rehabilitation, retrofit and removal of the nation’s 90,000 dams in the upcoming infrastructure package. Please join NHA’s Legislative Committee call on Monday, April 5, for an update on this initiative, as well as our ongoing legislative efforts.
Marine Energy Council: MEC Monthly Member Meeting: Tuesday, April 6th at 3:00 pm ET – to discuss council ongoing activity, provide project updates and take part in the member meetup. The full agenda posted in the NHA Members-Only Portal on the Marine Energy Council page. “Get out the Registration” – we encourage every NHA member interested in marine energy – waves, tides, ocean current, riverine hydrokinetics – to sign up today for the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE)
Markets Committee: Yesterday, FERC held a technical conference on the future of resource adequacy and capacity markets in the eastern RTOs. See Cameron’s takeaways here The committee met on March 17th at 2PM ET to discuss the Brattle paper. Brattle authors Sam Newell and Roger Lueken provided an overview and answered questions. The Committee will discuss NHA’s interest in upcoming FERC technical conferences on resource adequacy and ancillary service market designs.
Pumped Storage Development Council: DOE released its long-awaited Grid Valuation Guidebook. The WPTO-commissioned guidebook presents detailed step-by-step valuation guidance that pumped storage hydropower (PSH) developers, plant owners or operators, and other stakeholders can use to assess the value of existing or potential new PSH plants.
Regulatory Affairs Committee: Upcoming meeting: The April 2nd meeting has been rescheduled to March 31st at 4:00pm ET. During this meeting, committee members will discuss proposed priorities of the 401, NEPA, and ESA rules that the new Biden Administration can and should retain. Financial Assurance: Comments on NHA’s Final Draft of Comments on FERC’s financial assurance NOI are due by COB Thursday, March 25. Comments are due to FERC by Monday, March 29.
Small Hydro Council: Survey: Please complete this short 3 question survey by April 6 to set the direction for the Council for 2021. Upcoming Meetings: On April 7 at 3:00pm ET, the Small Hydro Council will meet to discuss the results of the survey and chart a path forward for 2021. Add to Calendar

Learn & Connect

View current and ongoing innovative research within the WaterPower Research Portal.
New event report added to the Operational Excellence database – “Unauthorized Removal of Historic Property – Transmission Tower” View it here

If you work in the southwestern region of the U.S., mark your calendar for the May 20 virtual Southwest Regional Meeting – registration opens in April; NHA member discount available
Access the NEW Event Library Marketplace in NHA’s Member Portal: Did you end up missing a regional meeting due to a conference call or skip it from having online meeting fatigue? No worries! If you were not able to register or attend an NHA event, you can purchase access to presentation materials, video recordings, and attendee lists with title and organization name from past meetings in the Event Library Marketplace
ICYMI: NHA hosted a Path to Clean Energy Virtual Event on March 11th titled, “Pairing Batteries & Hydropower: Clean Energy’s Untapped Solution“, hosted in partnership with the Energy Storage Association

NHA Press Releases

  • Congresswoman Kuster Leads 39 Colleagues in Letter to Biden Administration Urging Funding for Hydropower and River Conservation Efforts Read it here
  • New Report Shows Marine Energy Has Potential to Power 220 Million U.S. Homes Read it here
  • Waterpower Industry Congratulates Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Read it here

Member Portal Tips

Log into the members-only portal to find useful links to reports, references, and information for each NHA Committee or Council. This info can be helpful in your daily work. Follow these 2 easy steps to access: STEP 1: LOG IN TO THE NHA MEMBER PORTAL Log in to the Portal here STEP 2: FIND THE COMMITTEE(s) OR COUNCIL(S) Click “Committees & Councils” on the left navigation menu. Scroll down and click on any Committee or Council that’s bolded for you.

NHA Congratulates…

  • Dr. Mark Peters was appointed to Idaho Power and IDACORP Board of Directors
  • Yves Rannou has joined Natel Energy’s Board of Directors
  • NHA congratulates the seven marine energy projects receiving funding totaling $7.1 million across the five DOE National Labs. With this investment, the national labs will be poised to support the development and demonstration of marine energy technologies designed at different scales and for different blue economy applications.

On Your Radar…

  • Wednesday, March 31st 2-3 PM ET: DOE’s “Key Industry Trends for U.S. Hydropower: An Overview of the 2021 Edition of the U.S. Hydropower Market Report” Register now

Funding Opportunities

  • Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with other organizations, released the Automated Maintenance of Protection Systems Challenge: Up to ten solutions will be selected to continue to the second phase of the competition and receive $10,000 each. Papers are due on September 3, 2021.

NHA Welcomes New Member, Kingsbury, Inc.!

Since 1912 Kingsbury, Inc. has been instrumental in its support of the hydroelectric power industry. Beginning with the first installation of Kingsbury’s hydrodynamic fluid film thrust bearing at Holtwood Dam-helping the industry overcome the 20 MW hurdle-to our current status as a supplier to most of the OEM leaders in the business, we always strive to improve upon our designs and better understand the machines in which they operate. With facilities in Philadelphia, PA and Oshkosh, WI as well as Yuba City, CA, Kingsbury is uniquely qualified to support the industry as it expands and explores next generation products to increase efficiency and longevity of equipment across the power industry. Kingsbury has dedicated resources on both the East and West Coast to repair and modify not only our bearings but also those made by others to help bundle the opportunity for owners operating multi-generational machines. Add to that our unparalleled field service technical staff and you have a well-rounded and highly experienced partner to help fulfill your bearing needs. For design questions, repair/field service or engineering support please email Don McGinnis at jdm@kingsbury.com so he can direct you to the proper team members.

Upcoming Events

  • March 26: Last day to submit responses to gain insights into your organization’s safety performance.
  • March 30, 12 PM – 1 PM ET: Path to Clean Energy: The Vast Potential and Benefits of Marine Energy. Register Here
  • March 31, 4 PM ET: Regulatory Affairs Committee Meeting – Regulatory Review under the Biden Administration
  • April 1, 2 PM-3PM ET: Presentations by the NHA Fellows
  • April 5, 2 PM ET: Legislative Affairs Monthly Committee Call
  • April 13, 2 PM -3:30 PM ET: NHA Advocacy Webinar, How to Work with Congress. Email Rebecca Blood to confirm: rkbhydro@gmail.com
  • Week of April 19: Make Your Voice Heard – Virtual Meetings with Senators and Representatives
  • Week of May 3: Make Your Voice Heard – Virtual Meetings with Senators and Representatives

Renewables Shared Vision: Majority by 2030

Last week, for the first time ever, NHA joined American wind, solar and storage associations in coming together to announce a shared vision of renewables reaching a majority of U.S. electricity generation by 2030.The four industries have released a set of joint advocacy principles that will enable them to realize this bold vision. Along with increased collaboration, these shared principles include building a more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and affordable grid; achieving carbon reductions; and advancing greater competition through fair market rules.

IN THE KNOW…

EPA Incorporates NHA Comments Into 401 Final Rule

EPA recently released its Final Rule to modernize regulations implementing Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401.The final rule provides much needed timeliness and certainty to water quality certification for hydropower licenses by enhancing coordination between federal and state review and ensuring that certification requests are acted upon within a reasonable period of time, which the Clean Water Act defines as not longer than one year NHA hosted a Regulatory Committee call last week to compare the EPA’s Final Rule to NHA’s comments. The agency accepted several NHA comments and rejected others. Notably, the EPA agreed with NHA that issues such as fish passage and minimum flows are beyond the scope of 401, but declined to directly address the issue in the Final Rule. The EPA is also holding a public webinar on June 17th at 2:00pm EDT

NHA Accepting Nominations for 2021 Board of Directors

Do you know someone who would be a great addition to NHA’s Board of Directors? NHA is now accepting nominations for 2021!  If you have someone in mind, please click the link below to access our nominations portal. In 500 words or less, tell us why your nominee should serve on NHA’s board.

Nominations are due by August 14st.

About the Board

The board is entrusted with setting the strategic direction and policies that govern the Association’s activities. It is an active board and expects its members to take an engaged role in the Association.

Potential Candidates

Candidates must be members in good standing with strong leadership qualities and experience.  Additionally, candidates must have the support of their companies to run for a board seat and be able to travel to attend at least four of the five annual board meetings.

The Nomination Process

Once the nomination window closes, the Board of Directors will approve the nomination slate of candidates based off of the recommendations from NHA’s Nominating Committee. The slate will contain 10 nominees to fill 5 open board seats. In early October, NHA primary members will be encouraged to visit the portal to vote for nominees.  The election will conclude this fall with the newly elected board members beginning their four-year term in January 2021.

INVEST in America Act is Foundation of Green Infrastructure Package

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Pete DeFazio (D-OR) released the surface transportation reauthorization bill called, the “INVEST in America Act.” The legislation will serve as the foundation for the green infrastructure package expected to move through the House. The Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to have a number of provisions added to the bill, along the lines of the “Moving America Forward Framework” released by the House earlier this year. NHA will be doing outreach to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff to learn more about the legislative outlook on the surface transportation bill and other green infrastructure pieces of the legislation.

NHA Member Florida Atlantic University Involved in Record-Breaking Demo

NHA member Florida Atlantic University, through its Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC), partnered in late May with project developer OceanBased Perpetual Energy LLC to field three ocean current energy converters about 20 miles offshore of the southeast Florida coast – between Florida and the Bahamas. The project resulted in 24 hours of continuous electricity generated from the Gulf Stream current for the first time ever. Here, velocities of the Gulf Stream current often range from 3.5 to 5.5 miles an hour. However, according to SNMREC, these slower flows can have the power of a gale-force wind because water is more than 800 times more dense than air. Unlike wind, however, the ocean currents like the Gulf Stream offer non-intermittent opportunities to generate base load utility-scale power. The result? For the first time ever, the team was able to demonstrate that turbines can generate electricity continuously for 24 hours using the perpetual flow of water in the Gulf Stream. Florida Atlantic University’s SNMREC is one of three centers in the U.S. designated by the U.S. Department of Energy to assist companies with responsible development of marine energy. The 1 Big Takeaway? One step closer to commercialization! With this successful demonstration, the concept of commercial applications to use water flow in the Gulf Stream to generate clean, renewable electricity is one step closer to reality. We anticipate more discussion about this important milestone on upcoming Marine Energy Council (MEC) virtual meetings, as well as next year at the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) being organized by NHA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy in spring 2021 in Washington, D.C.

NHA Welcomes Marla Barnes, New Senior Director of Industry Collaboration

NHA is thrilled to welcome Marla Barnes to our team in the newly created position of Senior Director of Industry Collaboration. Marla brings a wealth of industry experience, having worked since 1989 to provide communications and opportunities for information and business exchange for professionals involved in the waterpower industry. Marla can be reached at marla@hydro.org and 816-588-4639.

IN THE NEWS

Oregon’s PacWave: Jump-starting US Marine Energy Market

The U.S. Department of Energy has poured $35 million into PacWave, a testing facility for wave-energy devices that will shortly enter construction. In the works since 2013, PacWave will comprise four wave-energy testing berths at a site located about seven miles from shore on Oregon’s Central Coast.

MEMBER UPDATES

Upcoming NHA Committees & Councils Conference Calls And Webinars

  • Markets Committee Webinar; Resource Adequacy in the West: Friday, June 12th at 2:00 PM ET
    • Join NHA’s markets committee for a webinar covering recent updates to CAISO and NWPP’s resource adequacy efforts. The webinar will include presentations from Karl Meesuen (CAISO), Lea Fisher (Public Generating Pool) and Gregg Carrington (Chelan PUD). The panelists will focus on implications for hydro resources in California and the Northwest.
 
  • MEC and DOE Transparency Lab Briefing Webinar: Tuesday, June 16th at 3:00 PM ET
 
  • WIC & DOE Hydropower R&D Highlights Webinar: Wednesday, June 17th at 2:00 PM ET

NHA Meetings Update: Alaska Regional Meeting Cancelled; and HPC Fall Retreat to Go Virtual

NHA’s in-person Alaska Regional Meeting previously scheduled for August 24th has been cancelled. NHA will still be in Anchorage in order to co-locate with the Alaska Power Association’s meeting in Homer next year. Please stay tuned for further information regarding the re-scheduling. Additionally, the Hydraulic Power Committee’s Fall Retreat will be moved to a virtual platform this year. HPC will host an in-person Spring Retreat, so stay tuned for more information regarding those changes.

OpEx: Help Us to Raise the Hydropower Industry’s Standard of Performance!

Submit an OpEx Event Report and be eligible to win a $500 Gift Certificate (two available) or a Free Registration to NHA’s 2021 HPC Spring Retreat. Want to learn more about OpEx? Schedule an OpEx Informational Webinar for employees in your company. Please contact Luciana at luciana@hydro.org for details and scheduling opportunities.

Funding Opportunity: Marine Energy Foundational Research and Testing Infrastructure

DOE WPTO released a funding opportunity announcement. The full application submission deadline is July 7, 2020 5:00 PM ET. The FOA addresses four main topic areas.

STAY UP-TO-DATE

NHA’s Upcoming Events

Follow NHA’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the status of our upcoming events.

Clean Currents 2021, A New Current Will Flow

With an eye towards 2021, and confidence in the nation’s ability to address COVID-19, NHA recently announced the creation of Clean Currents 2021, a new industry-led tradeshow and conference that will bring all waterpower technologies together – conventional hydropower, pumped storage, small hydro, and marine energy. Clean Currents 2021, which will be held October 20-22 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, marks the evolution and growth of the waterpower industry.

Advocacy Day is a key component of NHA’s Waterpower Week in Washington.

  Each year participants descend on Capitol Hill to follow their personalized, pre-arranged meetings with the offices of their Congressional representatives. NHA will equip you with talking points in advance of your meeting(s) and materials to leave behind at offices.
Meeting with Congressional offices is a worthwhile experience and is not as intimidating or difficult as one may think. These offices are excited to learn about what their constituents are working on. Staffers are often interested in hearing about advances in technologies, such as pumped storage or marine energy. Industry representatives report that advocating makes them feel like their voices are heard and that the government is working for them — we look forward to you having a similar experience! Questions? Email Brittney May, NHA’s Legislative Affairs manager (brittney@hydro.org).  

Advocacy Day 2024 One Pagers

 

Hydropower 101

FY2025 Water Power Appropriations

Hydropower License Reform

Hydropower ITC

Grid at Risk

Start of Construction Extension

Marine Energy

Pumped Storage

Pumped Storage

Hydropower Reliability During Mega-Drought

Huntington Park and Spokane Tribal Gathering Place Renovation

 

Summary

The Spokane Tribal Gathering Place,  previously a parking lot, connects the newly transformed Huntington Park to the City of Spokane’s Riverfront Park, allowing the public access to the Spokane River Lower Falls for the first time in 100 years. Today, visitors can access the Lower Falls and along the way experience interpretive signs, sculptures, and artifacts that depict the area’s history, including Native American, European American and hydroelectric development.

Background and Challenge

The Spokane Tribal Gathering Place is a reflection of Avista’s commitment to the community. The Park was established in the 1930’s, with renovation efforts in the 1970’s and 1990’s. Even so, the Park was severely under-utilized with limited accessibility. In 2012, Avista partnered with the City of Spokane to develop an urban plaza where a city parking lot existed. As a result, the public has gained phenomenal views of the Lower Falls and river gorge and an opportunity to stroll from Riverfront Park and the City through the new Plaza and Park learning about Native American and European American history as it evolved around the power of the Spokane River’s Lower Falls.

Innovation

Avista installed a stairway that connects to the Post Street Bridge to allow people alternative views of the Upper Falls and the river on the north side of the Post Street Substation. The stairway was custom designed to fit between two existing historic buildings. This is an area that the public had never had access to before. Additionally, Avista worked directly with the Tribes on the interpretive panels and with a Colville artist to create the Salmon Chief and native women drying and smoking fish sculptures adjacent to the Lower Falls. This ensured the Native American story about their history in the area was shared, especially as it pertained to fishing and gathering in the Lower Falls area.

Results

The Spokane Tribal Gathering Place and Huntington Park allows the the public to experience and enjoy the Spokane River’s Upper and Lower Falls as they travel seamlessly through downtown Spokane. Visitor use in the Spokane Tribal Gathering Place was nonexistent before the renovation – going from a few visits a day to thousands of visitors a day on weekends.

Stakeholder Quotes

“These projects have had a tremendous positive impact on our community, and have resulted in enhanced connections to the Spokane River and our downtown core. These sites are located adjacent to Spokane City Hall, to our signature 100-acre downtown park, and to the lower falls of the Spokane River. Before this renovation, the plaza space was a small, standard parking lot for City Hall, and Huntington Park was an underutilized park area that was not welcoming to Spokane citizens or visitors. Working with Avista, we set goals of enhancing the views and access to the river and falls and connecting our citizens to these incredible natural assets as well as providing another reason to come downtown. We also wanted to acknowledge the cultural significance of the area to the Spokane Tribe of Indians. The construction itself was challenging and required a close working relationship between Avista staff and City staff. Work was completed without impacting the daily operations of City Hall or Avista’s downtown hydro facility and while accommodating major downtown events including our Bloomsday Run, a 12k run that attracts about 50,000 participants, and Hoopfest, a 3-on-3 street basketball tournament with some 7,000 teams. The results have been well worth all of the effort. Our community now has a plaza featuring basalt columns, flowing water, and space that stair-steps down to the park below with incredible vistas of the river. Incredible artwork depicting the Native American connection to the Spokane River and the salmon that once populated the river has been installed. Between May of 2014, when the projects opened, and November, the sites received more than 60,000 visits, with more than 100,000 visits so far in 2015. We are extremely fortunate to have a community partner like Avista to tackle these projects and bring them to fruition.” – Spokane Mayor David Condon
TESTING AND TESTING
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Thompson Acquires Hydro Consulting & Maintenance Services

Thompson Construction Group, Inc. (TCG) announces it has acquired Hydro Consulting & Maintenance Services, Inc. (HCMS), headquartered in York, Pennsylvania.
Headquartered in Sumter, South Carolina, Thompson provides a range of construction and maintenance services to the power, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. Since 1986, TCG has grown from a small industrial services business into one of the largest construction companies in South Carolina. HCMS specializes in the repair, refurbishment, installation and maintenance of hydroelectric turbines and generators and also provides a range of consulting services, including condition assessments, specialized testing, and the development of preventive maintenance programs.  HCMS serves a diverse range of clients, including utilities, municipalities and manufacturers of turbines and generators.  HCMS will become a part of TCG’s existing Power Services division. Greg Thompson, Founder and CEO of TCG, commented: “We are delighted that HCMS and its excellent team of professionals has joined the Thompson family. The joining of our companies will enable us to serve our customers more broadly and support the growing demand for clean, renewable energy throughout the United States.” Clyde and Lorraine Krout, founders of HCMS, commented: “We are excited about joining forces with Thompson, which has very similar values and commitment to customer service as HCMS.  The combined strength of our companies will allow us to serve our customers in new ways and will provide excellent growth opportunities for our employees.  We will remain a part of the company and look forward to supporting its continued growth.” The National Hydropower Association (NHA) congratulates both Thompson Construction Group and Clyde and Lorraine and HCMS. “Both companies are active members of NHA, and have been supportive of the association’s efforts in both advocating for hydro with policy makers and in providing learning and networking opportunities for people working in the industry – both asset owners/generators and service and product suppliers,” said Diane Lear, NHA’s vice president of operations and member services. For example, HCMS’s Scott Klabunde currently serves as the chair of the operations and maintenance sub-committee within NHA’s Hydraulic Power Committee. In this volunteer leadership position, Scott is leading efforts to provide opportunities for employees of NHA member organizations to meet – both virtually and in person – to exchange lessons learned, help each other solve operations- and maintenance-related challenges, and ensure best practices at individual hydro projects are shared throughout the membership (85% of the asset owners in North America are NHA members). This committee will host a technical hydro plant tour and a networking dinner at NHA’s new Clean Currents event in Atlanta in October 2021.