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On April 17th, US DOE released a report titled An Assessment of Energy Potential at Non-Powered Dams in the United States. The report analyzes the hydroelectric power generating capacity at 54,000 existing dams across the United States, and indicates that fully developing non-powered dams (NPDs) could result in additional generating capacity of more than 12 gigawatts (GW). This would increase current US hydropower capacity by 15% and provide enough energy to power four million households. The report concludes that of the 12 GW of potential capacity, “a majority is concentrated in just 100 NPDs, which could contribute approximately 8 GW… [more]
View InsightH.R. 2842, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act of 2011, has been referred to the House of Representatives. The bill, introduced by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO), would call on the Bureau of Reclamation to develop small conduit hydropower at Bureau facilities. The bill would require that power privilege leases be offered to local irrigation districts or water users associations. The bill would prohibit altering existing water management and altering existing small conduit projects or outlays. “At a time when our country needs to focus on domestic energy production and job creation, hydropower can play… [more]
View InsightProfessor of Public Policy
Georgia Institute of Technology
In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a Clean Energy Standard (CES) requiring that 80 percent of the nation’s electricity come from clean energy resources by 2035. Over the past decade, Congress has debated renewable electricity standards, typically allowing energy efficiency to meet a portion of the target. For example, in 2009, an RES was included in the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009, requiring 15% renewables by 2021, and 27% of this target could be met by energy efficiency. What happened to energy efficiency in the President’s proposal? A well-designed CES policy would enable… [more]
View Insight[Note: The statements below are intended solely to stimulate discussion among the Expert community, and do not represent the position of OurEnergyPolicy.org. Text in italics indicates clarification or expansion.] US electricity generation should be based on the following sources: Hydroelectric — part of the stable supply base — not expected to grow. Large hydro capacity may shrink due to reservoir siltation, water shortages, and dam removal. Coal — part of the stable supply base — is domestically abundant. Currently, the cheapest but most carbon intensive solution. Growth rate depends on friendlier GHG technologies (like IGCC and CCS). The main… [more]
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