National Hydropower Association

🌊💡 Before it's too late, October is National Energy Awareness Month! 🏞️ In celebration, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Water Power Technologies Office highlighted five facts about water power. From the power of inland rivers to the open ocean, water power—encompassing both hydropower and marine energy—is crucial in advancing the U.S. toward a cleaner, more resilient energy sector.

Honored to have been asked to co-author this story. Hydro has a critical role in maintaining reliability. Hope you give it a read and I welcome your feedback.

As 2024 enters the closing stretch, join NHA for one last regional meeting! From December 10 – 11, 2024, the water power industry will gather in Redding, California, for two days of community, connection, and education. Host sponsor Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Bureau of Reclamation have generously provided attendees with two exciting tour opportunities: Shasta Dam and Pit 1 Hydroelectric Project. On December 10, attendees will start their day with a tour of Shasta Dam - the eighth-tallest dam in the U.S. at 602 feet! With a special look inside the powerhouse, guides from the Bureau of Reclamation will share more about the rich history of Shasta Dam and the important role it plays in the Central Valley Project. After lunch, attendees will then head to PG&E's Pit 1 Hydroelectric Project, a 65.5 MW hydro facility located over an hour from downtown Redding. Attendees will have ample opportunity to view Pit 1’s facilities and to learn more about its fascinating history – detailed in this excellent video: https://bit.ly/3O4GCR7 To learn more about the California Regional Meeting, follow the link: https://bit.ly/3YhFlL2

Over 2,000 enthusiasts from across the globe gathered for the Clean Currents 2024 Conference. Visions for the future were charted, innovations were discussed, and there was a strong emphasis on a particular type of storage investment. Learn more about the top takeaways from this transformative conference here: https://lnkd.in/guz4Rjby #CC24 #CleanCurrents2024 #HerefortheHydro

New research from NHA: Our latest study highlights an urgent reality: 40% of the U.S. hydropower fleet is at risk of retiring by 2035 due to licensing delays, inadequate tax support, and market inefficiencies. Without immediate reforms, grid reliability will suffer, and emissions will rise. This comprehensive whitepaper outlines the unique value of water power, its contributions to the grid, and the policy solutions needed to safeguard our clean energy transition. The role of water power is bigger than you think. Don’t wait—read the report now and share with your organization and outside stakeholders! #CleanEnergy #Hydropower #policysolutions https://lnkd.in/e-73HNCp

Plan for a transformative experience at Clean Currents 2025! From October 14 -17, join us in Pittsburgh, the City of Bridges, as we make powerful Water connections that will positively shape your career, your operations, and the industry at large. For more details, jump in at cleancurrents.org/2025 #CleanCurrents2025 #CC25 #SustainableFuture

Our Natel contingent—Bill Malus, Gia Schneider, Abe Schneider, Kate Stirr, Pat Donahue, Sterling Watson, Jessica Penrod, Will Shields, Betsy Pfeiffer, Miles Hall—had a wonderful time at Clean Currents this year! Two big highlights were Gia's conversation with Malcolm Woolf about embracing innovation in hydropower and Sterling's selection as a Rising Star by the Future Leaders of Waterpower, both part of the opening plenary. Also on Wednesday, Abe spoke to a packed room about modernizing existing hydropower sites with turbines designed for fish safety, as part of a panel on Rehabilitation and Modernization moderated by Cameron M. of Xcel Energy. The next day, Sterling had the opportunity to present about using hydroelectric turbines as downstream fish passageways as part of a rockstar panel of women discussing Tools for Optimizing Environmental Outcomes. The panel was moderated by Kelly Catlett of American Rivers and also included presentations by Ann Willis of American Rivers, Brenda M. Pracheil of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Katie Kennedy of The Nature Conservancy. On Thursday, Gia joined the International Hydropower Association (IHA)'s Debbie Gray to present about the IHA's World Hydropower Outlook, specifically the North and Central American sector. Outside of the presentation rooms, we enjoyed participating in the Natel-led FishSafe runners 5k and in the morning yoga organized by the National Hydropower Association, not to mention all of the happy hours... 😉 Thank you so much to Malcolm Woolf, Marla Barnes, Joseph LoSasso, Francesca Blanco Hadjimichael, CMP, Ellie Rubalow, and everyone else at NHA who helped to make Clean Currents such a valuable and enjoyable experience! And thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to discuss FishSafe turbines, embracing innovation, and making hydropower more sustainable for future generations! Please reach out to continue the conversation at any time: info@natelenergy.com. #CleanCurrents #hydropower #withhydropower #waterpower #fishsafe #fishpassage #sustainability #renewables #greenpower #portland

We hope you'll attend today's members-only webinar on water power and clean energy priorities in 2025 under a new president and a new congress. POLITICO's Josh Siegel and E&E News' Nico Portuondo will be our special guests to help us make some sense of the current election uncertainty. That's happening today at 1:00pm EST via Microsoft Teams. See you there!

Sending a final round of applause for our incredible Clean Currents 2024 Sponsors! Your contributions made a significant impact on the meeting's success! Looking forward to seeing you at Clean Currents 2025. #CC24 #HerefortheHydro #CleanCurrents2024

As states make plans to improve or replace key infrastructure, thinking towards the future is critical. The City of Beaverton, Oregon, which conducted a conduit hydropower pilot back in 2020, deepened their commitment to a more sustainable future by adding a hydropower turbine to the Sexton Mountain Pump Station. The pump station, which is a critical part of the city's water system, will now feature an in-conduit turbine capable of generating 426 megawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity, offsetting 27% of the pump station's energy load and saving the city thousands of dollars a year for the next 50 to 100 years! NHA and NARUC worked on a POWERHOUSE article about the topic, which includes photos from Beaverton's 2020 pilot; read it here: https://bit.ly/47BoUMJ Check out the latest update here: https://bit.ly/3zXdAzi