Take Action This Week
- Read How to Apply for $200 Million in Funding
- IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED: Contact your Congressional delegation TODAY to sign onto two letters
- NEW! Download the “hot-off-the-press” Funding Opportunities Reference Guide
- Bookmark NHA’s Committees and Councils
- Complete the annual NH/EUCG safety survey
- Mark your calendars! In-person committee/council meetings at Waterpower Week
In this edition:
NHA’s Scouting Report
Upcoming Events
Committee Corner
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Tip of the Week
NHA Member Organizations in the News
Funding & Technical Assistance Programs
The Latest:
March Madness Final Four NHA Predictions
In the spirit of March Madness, here are my Final Four predictions of what to look for in Washington that may impact your bottom line in the next several months:
- Lots of talk by House Republicans about energy permitting reform but it’s mostly a “message bill” with Senate Democrats unlikely to move the package. More realistic opportunities for bipartisanship may exist in late summer or early fall, particularly with respect to NHA’s hydropower licensing reform effort.
- DOE’s proposed hydropower incentives program will likely be improved, but industry will not get all the changes that we are hoping for. With applications expected to be due in the summer, DOE will scramble to make awards before the end of the year. Significant funds likely won’t flow until 2024.
- Despite new Treasury guidance documents, uncertainty about the new Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives will continue. Business will remain brisk for consultants supporting incremental new hydropower and pumped storage development.
- Business will also remain brisk for lawyers interested in challenging new Biden Administration regulations. NHA is particularly concerned about potential new proposals on Clean Water Act section 401 permitting and FERC financial assurance requirements.
Feel free to clip these predictions and check at the end of the year to see how well I did!
~Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO of National Hydropower Association
NHA’s Scouting Report
Here’s how NHA is working on your behalf
DOE Collecting Applications from Hydro Project Asset Owners for Hydroelectric Production and Efficiency Improvements
The U.S. Department of Energy Grid Deployment Office let NHA staff know today that DOE is currently accepting applications
May 8 Deadline: Applications Now Open for Receiving Hydroelectric Production Incentives Payments ($125 million available, via updated guidance in Section 242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Hydroelectric Production Incentives).
- Available to owners and authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities for hydroelectricity generated and sold in calendar years 2021 and 2022.
June 20 Deadline: Applications Now Open for Receiving Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Payments ($75 million available, via updated guidance in Section 243 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Hydroelectric Production Incentives).
- Owners or operators of existing hydroelectric facilities, including pumped storage hydropower, may apply for funding to make capital improvements that can improve facilities’ efficiency by at least 3%.
- An incentive payment shall not exceed 30 percent of the costs of the applicable capital improvement(s); no more than one incentive payment may be made to a single qualified hydroelectric facility, including pumped storage hydropower, in any fiscal year; and that shall not exceed $5 million.
For both payments, applications must be submitted to the Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunity Exchange, Apply HERE
Show Me the Money: How to Access Millions in Funds for Waterpower
With hundreds of millions of dollars available for the waterpower industry, understanding where and how to access those funds represents a challenge. NHA staff is working to bring the industry four “Show Me the Money” sessions at Waterpower Week in Washington that will provide solutions critical for project owners, developers, and public power officials.
Click here to read about the sessions.
NHA Comments Shape U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Process for Developing New Hydro at Existing Dams
March 17, NHA, on behalf of membership, filed comments regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) plan to implement the hydro provisions in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. Due to NHA’s advocacy, WRDA 2022 includes language to create a more consistent process for reviewing 408 applications, which will make adding hydro capacity at USACE dams easier.
See Comments in NHA Member-Only Portal by clicking HERE.
Waterpower Trivia Break…
Time to test your waterpower knowledge! In each Playbook edition, we’ll present you with a hydropower or marine energy brainteaser.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Monday was the Spring Equinox, which means we had an equal amount of day and night time. Pumped Storage is one of our resources that keeps clean energy flowing to keep the lights on at night.
According to the 2021 edition of the Hydropower Market Report, what percentage of all utility-scale energy storage does Pumped Storage account for in the United States?
The first three respondents with the correct answer will be announced in the next NHA Member’s Playbook. Email your answer to info@hydro.org.
Last Edition’s Question: In celebration of International Womens Day: Who was the first professionally employed female electrical engineer?
Last Edition’s Answer: Edith Clarke was the first professionally employed female electrical engineer in the U.S.
Upcoming Events
- March 29, 9:30 AM-4 PM ET: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Roundtable on Environmental Justice in Infrastructure Permitting
- March 29, 1 PM ET: Informational webinar on $300 million funding opportunity, recently announced by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED)’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program. Details HERE
- March 31, 1 PM– 4 PM ET: White House Webinar — Lower Snake River Dams; link for this webinar can be found here.
- April 4, 2 PM ET: Legislative Affairs Meeting
- April 4, 2:30 PM – 4 PM ET: U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar. Register HERE.
- April 5, 1 PM ET: U.S. Department of Energy Webinar: Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program; Registration Required
- April 7: Responses Due to the Annual Safety Survey (see details in Committee/Council Corner)
- April 12, 1 PM-2 PM ET: Ask an Expert: Funding Opportunities Informational Webinar for Members-Only; calendar invitation will be sent to you
- April 13, 1 PM ET: Pubic Affairs Meeting
- April 15: Deadline to respond to the Clean Currents Call for Speakers
- April 20, 3 PM ET: Future Leaders of Waterpower Meeting
- April 25-26: 2023 Midwest Regional Meeting, co-hosted with the Midwest Hydro Users Group (MHUG); Host Utility: Alliant Energy
- May 8-10: Waterpower Week in Washington D.C.
- May 9: Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
- July 25-26: Northeast Regional Meeting in Springfield, Massachusetts. Host Utility: FirstLight Power
- August 24: National Hydropower Day
- October 10-13: Clean Currents 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio
- December 13-14: California Regional Meeting, San Diego, California. Host Utility: San Diego County Water Authority
Committee/Council Corner
Find details on each NHA Committee and Council HERE.
IMPORTANT: Any employee of an NHA member organization is welcome to participate in any/all of the calls and activities of any committee or council. To get notifications about a particular group listed below (i.e., to “join”), simply email: marla@hydro.org
Future Leaders of Waterpower (FLOW)
NHA staff contact: Marycella Dumlao
- April 20, 3 PM ET: Join the monthly FLOW virtual video call, featuring special guests from DOE and national labs as they give a 101 on who they are, what they do, and how you can get involved. Add to calendar.
- May 8, 7:30 PM-9 PM ET – Get to know your colleagues across the waterpower industry: FLOW will be having a networking social event during Waterpower Week. This is a ticketed event, and if you have questions, please contact Marycella at marycella@hydro.org.
Hydropower Technical Community
NHA staff contact: Chris Hayes
April 7: submissions for the Annual Safety Survey are due to Jim Miller (ljmiller-sec@epbfi.com). As the only survey focused solely on the hydropower industry, all participating companies are anonymous. The survey results will help inform best practices for the hydropower industry.
What information is needed to participate?
The survey consists of three parts:
- Part A – Company profile information and safety statistics reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Part B – Supplemental Data on Injuries such as: Day of Week, Time of Day, Body Part Involved
- Part C – Questions Leading Safety Indicators Used by Organization
What was the response to last year’s survey?
In 2022, 26 companies which included three service provider type companies submitted 2021 data. The submissions covered approximately 13 million labor hours.
How can my company participate and what form is the results presented?
The survey is open to all NHA member companies not just owner/operators. The survey form and key information sheet can be obtained by sending a request to Chris Hayes, Senior Advisor of Technical Programs and Training (chris@hydro.org). Each participating organization will receive a blinded data file with the raw data and summary results in a presentation file. The submissions are due to Jim Miller (ljmiller-sec@epbfi.com) by Friday, April 7, 2023.
Dam Safety Trainings for How to Do Comprehensive Assessments and Risk Analysis
April 7 (half-day virtual) and April 20-21 (in person in Charleston, South Carolina): Fundamentals of Facilitating a Semi-Quantitative Risk Analysis, offered by the U.S. Society on Dams; for details, email: Laura Wright – laura@ussdams.org; Learn more HERE
April 24-27: LifeSim Workshop, in person in Sacramento, California, offered by the U.S. Corps of Engineers; for details, click HERE
April 25: Overview of Revisions to Part 12 Program, virtual, offered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); for details, email: RIDM@ferc.gov.
May 14-17 and May 22-23: Leveraging PFMA to Perform SQRA, virtual, offered by the U.S. Society on Dams; for details, email: Laura Wright – laura@ussdams.org; Register Here
June 6-8: Flood Hazard for Risk Assessment, in person in New Orleans, Louisiana; for details, click HERE
July 26 –27: Introduction to USACE SQRA and FERC L2RA Processes and Guidelines, in-person in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; for details, email: RIDM@ferc.gov or click HERE
September 6-8: Hydrologic Hazard Analysis for L2RA, in-person in Washington, D.C., offered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); for details, email: RIDM@ferc.gov.
Stay Tuned! Monthly 45-Minute “Lunch and Learn” Webinar Series
- NHA is “breaking ground” on an initiative to offer employees of NHA member organizations a monthly learning opportunity.
- Topics include: Electrical Engineering, Dam Safety, Operations and Maintenance, Public Safety, Operational Excellence, Workforce Challenges, and more
- Webinars will be recorded and posted in the NHA Member Portal, thus creating an on-demand library for operational and technical topics
- Contact Chris Hayes at Chris@hydro.org with questions.
NHA staff contact: Brittney May
- April 4, 2 PM ET: Legislative Affairs Committee Monthly Virtual Meeting
- Call for Working Group participants to work with NHA staff to coordinate legislative outreach and engagement with Capitol Hill:
- Tax Incentives
- License Reform
- New York State Advocacy
123456Want to join a group? Contact Brittney May at brittney@hydro.org (specify which group/groups)
- Save the date: May 9, NHA’s Advocacy Day. Join others in efforts to elevate important waterpower initiatives on Capitol Hill. To prepare for your meetings, check out our article on effective advocacy!
NHA staff contact: Kelly Rogers
DUE TODAY: Contact your Member of Congress in the House of Representatives and ask them to sign-on to Rep. Bonamici and Rep. Pingree’s “Dear Colleague Letter.” Go HERE for information and instructions on what to do.
- April 4, 3 PM ET – Monthly MEC Member Meeting
- April 5 ACTION REQUESTED: Review and provide comments to the DRAFT NHA-MEC Position Paper, Second Edition. Email Kelly Rogers (kelly@hydro.org) with comments or edits by Wednesday, April 5, COB.
- April 18, 3 PM ET – April “Featured Presentation” topic to be announced!
- May 8, 9 AM ET – In-person MEC Member Meeting at Waterpower Week in Washington, D.C.
Interested in getting involved in one of the MEC working groups? Email Kelly Rogers (kelly@hydro.org) to help move marine energy forward!
NHA staff contact: Michael Purdie
Wholesale Electricity Markets News:
- ISO-NE finalized the FCA 17 Capacity Auction results (2026/2027 delivery year). The auction cleared between $2.551/kW-month to $2.590/kW-month with 31,370 MWs cleared. Last year’s prices cleared between $2.531/kW-month to $2.639/kW-month. More can be found here.
- On March 15, the D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments regarding FERC’s approval of the Southeast Energy Market (“SEEM”). SEEM was approved by Operation of Law in October 2021 while Tariff revisions were approved separately later. Opponents of SEEM requested rehearing late, and they were denied.
- During the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission March 16 Open Meeting, FERC staff presented the 2022 State of the Markets Report. More can be found here.
Have items of interest to your company in FERC-jurisdictional markets you want to discuss? Reach out to Mike Purdie at michael@hydro.org.
NHA staff contact: LeRoy Coleman
SAVE THE DATES!
- April 13, 1 PM ET: Public Affairs Committee Call; topic: Crisis Communications and Hydropower. Meeting invitation has been sent.
- August 24: National Hydropower Day (#HydroDay)
Pumped Storage Development Council
NHA staff contact: Brittney May
Thank you to everyone who attended the March 10th Pumped Storage Development Council meeting. Click HERE for the meeting slide deck, as well as the slides presented by Sam Bockenhauer with HydroWIRES.
Council Meeting Schedule for 2023:
- Wednesday, May 10, 3 PM ET (in-person at Waterpower Week in Washington)
- Friday, July 14, 1 PM ET
- Friday, September 8, 1 PM ET
- October – date TBD (in-person at Clean Currents)
- Friday, December 8, 1 PM ET
Calendar Invites (Meeting Requests) have been sent for these meetings. If they are not already on your calendar, let Brittney (brittney@hydro.org) know and we will forward them.
In Case You Missed it: Good news for pumped storage!
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recommended an electric resource portfolio for use in the CAISO 2023-4 Transmission Planning Process, including new resource additions of 2,000 MW long-duration storage by 2035. Read more about it here.
In Case You Missed it: Reservoir Liners Study Released
The U.S. Department of Energy’s HydroWIRES released the final technical report on the pumped storage hydropower liners study; check it out here: Reservoir Lining for Pumped Storage Hydropower
NHA staff contact: Michael Purdie
March 31: Send your views about the following to Michael Purdie
- NHA is considering filing comments on Council on Environmental Quality’s interim guidance to federal agencies regarding how they analyze greenhouse gas and climate change under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
NHA staff contact: Kelly Rogers
March 30, 12PM ET – Monthly Member Meeting on the project lifecycle phase of siting/pre-development.
- Each month, the Small Hydro Council will discuss one phase of the project lifecycle, including success stories from 2 or 3 speakers. Discussion follows presentations; topics include how NHA’s advocacy can lead to project improvements.
- There should be a meeting invite already on your calendar for March 30 call, if not, please let Kelly Rogers (kelly@hydro.org) know.
Thank you to those who have completed the Small Hydro Survey. If you have not already, please do so HERE.
Plan to attend!
Monday, May 8th, 4 PM ET: ”Small Hydro Summit” session at Waterpower Week in Washington
Want to learn more? Email Kelly Rogers at kelly@hydro.org
NHA staff contact: Chris Hayes
NHA is looking for volunteers to participate in the April 25 Hydropower Environmental and Industry R&D Summit (can attend in person in Washington, D.C., or virtually). The U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office is organizing the summit. Interested in participating? Contact Chris Hayes: chris@hydro.org; 514-795-8413.
Plan to attend!
May 9, 4:45 PM ET: Real-World Applications of Innovation session at Waterpower Week in Washington
Want to learn more? Email Chris Hayes at Chris@hydro.org
Advocacy and Outreach
Contact Your Congressional Representative Today
We need you to take action today to help secure co-signers for a Congressional letter of support for funding for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.
Please contact your U.S. Representative’s office TODAY to ask your Congressional delegate to sign – by Wednesday, March 22 – a letter of support, initiated by Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME).
FY 2024 Bonamici-Pingree Water Power Funding Letter
A top priority for NHA remains securing increased funding for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). You have an opportunity to help NHA make that happen!
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree have just released a “Dear Colleague” to their fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives asking for co-signers onto a letter to the Appropriations Committee asking for Water Power to be funded at $206,000,000 in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.
As a reminder, WPTO investments support innovation of advanced technologies to increase power production and reduce costs, improve grid reliability, resilience, and environmental outcomes, and create new market opportunities that improve economic growth across the country.
Please contact your Member of Congress and ask them to support the Bonamici-Pingree Water Power funding letter. We have crafted a draft message below to use as base text for contact with your Representative. Reach out to Brittney May (brittney@hydro.org) or Paul Gay (paul@strategicmi.com) with any questions or for additional information related to this request. Thanks for doing your part to help your fellow NHA members that utilize WPTO funding!
DRAFT COMMUNICATION TO CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE
I am writing to request your support for increased federal investments in the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during consideration of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. In addition, I urge you to co-sign a letter to the House Appropriations Committee led by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree requesting $206,000,000 for Water Power within the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
The U.S. has significant underutilized water power resources, including non-powered dams, conduits, new pumped storage potential, and untapped marine energy. The DOE WPTO invests in advancement of new and innovative technologies, operations, and approaches to harness these resources in a globally competitive marketplace.
My name is __________________. I’m a constituent living in ______(City)____________ and am ___(Title)__________ of ____(Company)____________ (www.____________________). We are a (INSERT DESCRIPTION AND MISSION STATEMENT HERE).
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree recently released a “Dear Colleague” to their fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives asking for co-signers onto a letter to the Appropriations Committee asking for $206 million for Water Power in Fiscal Year 2024. I would greatly appreciate Rep. (FILL IN NAME OF YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS) co-signing the letter, which is copied below for your review. The deadline to co-sign the letter is Wednesday, March 22.
Deployment of new water power generation technologies at scale in the U.S. will increase local economic development opportunities, create thousands of high-value jobs, promote exports in manufacturing and services, and avoid a repeat of the current landscape in which foreign companies dominate global renewable technology markets.
I request that Rep. ____________ co-sign the Bonamici-Pingree Water Power funding letter and also submit a programmatic request to the Appropriations Committee that $206,000,000 be provided for Water Power in the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.
I am available and would be happy to find a time to connect and brief the office about (INSERT NAME OF COMPANY/UNIVERSITY/OTHER) and water power issues. We also welcome the opportunity to host Rep. ________________ for a visit.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please let me know whether Rep. ________________ is willing to co-sign the Bonamici-Pingree letter and contact the Appropriations Committee on our behalf.
Sincerely,
______________________, (INSERT TITLE)
(INSERT ADDRESS/EMAIL)
***
Support FY24 DOE Water Power Technologies Office Appropriations Letter
Sending Office: Honorable Suzanne Bonamici
Sent By: Morgan.McCue@mail.house.gov
Support FY24 Appropriations for the DOE Water Power Technologies Office
*Programmatic Request*
FY23 Signers: Beyer, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Bowman, Carbajal, Casten, Cohen, Costa, Courtney, Craig, DeFazio, DeGette, DeSaulnier, Deutch, Golden, Jayapal, Kahele, Keating, Kuster, Larsen, Matsui, McGovern, McKinley, McNerney, Panetta, Pappas, Pingree, Rush, Scott, Sewell, Smith, Soto, Strickland, Takano, Tonko
Dear Colleague,
Please join us in requesting that the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development provide $206 million in funding for the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO).
Our ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet and can be used as a plentiful, renewable energy resource. The Department of Energy estimates that there is enough kinetic energy in waves and tides along U.S. coastlines to meet a significant portion of our nation’s power needs. Waves, tides, and currents carry kinetic energy that can be captured and converted into electricity that powers our homes, buildings, and cities. Harnessing marine energy is an exciting frontier in the clean energy sector. Hydropower is also an affordable and reliable electricity resource, accounting for nearly six percent of all U.S. electricity generation.
In 2020, Congress strongly supported the investments in marine energy and water power programs by advancing the bipartisan Water Power Research and Development Act. The bill reauthorized the WPTO, which supports cutting-edge private sector-led research, development, and deployment of marine energy technologies, new innovative hydropower, and pumped storage. Commercializing new advanced water power systems to capture these resources represents a substantial economic opportunity for the United States to lead the world in an emerging area of energy production and stimulate a broad range of job-creating industries.
Marine energy is one of the last untapped renewable energy sources, and federal investment can help unlock it.
Please join us in supporting this vital program by expressing support for $206 million in funding for the DOE WPTO. If you would like to sign the letter, please do so via QUILL by Wednesday, March 22nd. For additional information, please contact Morgan McCue in Rep. Bonamici’s office at Morgan.Mccue@mail.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Bonamici Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress Member of Congress
Dear Chairman Fleischmann and Ranking Member Kaptur:
As you consider the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Act, we respectfully request $206,000,000 in funding for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). This funding would strengthen cutting-edge research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of marine energy technologies, new innovative hydropower, and pumped storage.
The United States has significant untapped water power resources that can be safely captured and converted into clean, renewable electricity. In 2021, DOE estimated the technical potential of marine energy resources (wave, tidal, ocean current, ocean thermal, and riverine) in the 50 states to be 2,300 terawatt hours per year, which is equivalent to 57 percent of all U.S. electricity generated in 2019. Using just one-tenth of these resources would provide enough energy to power 22 million homes.
Commercialization of new advanced systems to capture water power resources represents a substantial economic opportunity for the United States to lead in clean energy production and stimulate a broad range of job creation activities in construction, equipment manufacturing, shipyards, and project operations and management. As with more mature power generation technologies, federal support for critical early-stage innovation and technology deployment efforts are key to eventual commercial success.
Currently, hydropower accounts for more than 7 percent of all U.S. electricity generation, 37 percent of renewable electricity, and a significant percentage of storage capacity. The Hydropower Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment, prepared by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for DOE identifies barriers and opportunities to securing a resilient hydropower supply chain. The report anticipates significant hydropower repowering activity in the coming years and notes that the industry may face supply chain constraints as many components are large and require significant lead time. Ongoing efforts by the WPTO to advance technologies that will improve equipment longevity are critical to keeping costs and replacements down. A 2019 project carried out by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory identified techniques that could help reduce cavitation erosion, one of the costliest sources of maintenance.
The DOE WPTO also is investing in a diverse range of technologies to capture energy from marine energy and other water power resources. This includes assessing resource and market potential; researching, developing, and deploying new technologies; mitigating effects on marine and riparian environments; and improving grid resilience. In large part because of the sustained support from the WPTO, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the first of its kind lease and license to Oregon State University to build and operate the nation’s first commercial-scale, grid-connected wave energy testing facility, known as PacWave. The project, located off the coast of Newport, Oregon, is in the construction phase, and will provide wave energy developers with opportunity to test and assess systems. In addition, a number of marine energy technologies are now being built, tested, and deployed across the country, from Florida to California, and Maine to Alaska, and several points in between.
Robust funding for the DOE Water Power Technologies Office will promote U.S. energy independence, speed up technology commercialization, help provide low cost, clean power for our grid, reduce harmful emissions, and create good-paying jobs. We urge you to allocate $206 million in funding for the DOE Water Power Technologies Office to support research, development, and deployment of marine energy technologies, new innovative hydropower, and pumped storage.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
NHA is pleased to announce Anchor Coalition and Energy Keeps have joined NHA – read more below and welcome them to the NHA family:
Anchor Coalition is a community engagement NGO. Its mission is to build local resilience leading to sustainable communities by advancing clean energy technologies and promoting services that achieve water and energy efficiency in an integrated manner.
The Coalition is, and will be, comprised of local communities; stakeholders; educational, research, and international financial institutions; NGOs; sector trade associations; clean tech and water companies; global engineering firms; urban designers and planners; clean tech implementation experts; and system integrators.
Anchor, a project of The Ocean Foundation (a 501c3 organization), will develop the framework for combining and advancing both renewable technologies and equitable community development through project planning. This is in accord with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and will help regions, such as Central Asia and the Southern African Development Community, through showcase projects in Zimbabwe and the Kyrgyz Republic, respectively, meet intended Nationally Determined Contributions as pledged in COP 21.
SXʷNQ̓EʔELS L SUW̓EČM / KSUKⱠIⱠMUMAⱠ ʾA·K̓͏AⱠMUKWAʾITS, Inc., which does business as Energy Keepers, Inc., is a Tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes tasked with managing the Project on the Flathead Reservation.
The Se̓liš Ksanka Qĺispe̓ Project, located about five miles southwest of Polson, (MT) encompasses a three-unit hydroelectric plant with the capacity to generate 208 megawatts of electricity. The annual generation of the plant averages 1,100,000 megawatt-hours of electricity.
NHA’s membership is made up of more than 300 companies and organizations. Bookmark the online member directory for easy reference.
NHA Member Organizations in the News
Check out news about NHA member companies HERE.
Brian M. Zimmet joins Rock Creek Energy Group as partner
| Bob Underwood, founding partner of NHA member organization Coloma Capital Partners for writing and publishing the book Dam It! Electrifying America and Taming Her Waterways |
Do you know of NHA member organizations or employees working for those organizations who deserve a public pat on the back? Please share with marla@hydro.org.
Do you have internship positions to fill for this summer?
You can post your internship positions for FREE on NHA Career Center.
Contact Catherine Ryan at catherine@hydro.org with any NHA Career Center questions.
As part of NHA’s commitment to investing in inclusive policies and actions that advance equity at every level of our industry, we will include a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Tip in each Member Playbook.
We encourage you to practice these tips, share your experiences, and offer suggestions for future weeks!
Tip of the Week: Assume Positive Intent
Believe the best of people. This powerful leadership move can transform your approach to a person or problem.
By deliberately giving people the benefit of the doubt, you learn details of a situation without bias. This gives others the opportunity to engage without defensiveness. Try re-framing your perception this week to experience the domino effect of good intent.
Read more about DEI at NHA HERE.
How NHA is helping its members connect, learn, network, and do business with each other and the entire waterpower industry
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Call for Speakers for Clean Currents 2023 – responses needed by April 15 |
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- If you work in the Midwest, join NHA and the Midwest Hydro Users Group (MHUG) in Middleton
- Check out the updated agenda for the 2023 Midwest Regional Meeting, co-hosted with the Midwest Hydro Users Group! Session topics range from FERC Part 12 to the Endangered Species Act to the future of Pumped Storage Development – there is something for everyone. Download the agenda
Getting On Your Radar…
March 29 – 9:30 AM-4 PM: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) convenes a roundtable on Environmental Justice in Infrastructure Permitting. More details HERE about the purpose of the roundtable and how to register. NHA will prepare and provide membership with key takeaways following the roundtable.
April 4, 2:30 PM – 4 PM ET: U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar. Register HERE.
Staff and leadership will dive into current and future funding opportunities, how the office is working with partners across the country and beyond, and other accomplishments, news, and updates since the last stakeholder webinar in November 2022.
April 7 – deadline for submitting responses to the annual safety survey. Close to 30 member organizations completed the survey in 2022 – let’s increase that number this year!
April 15 – deadline for college or university students to apply for the Julie A. Keil Women in Hydro Scholarship – share this opportunity with college/university students you know.
April 25 – 8 AM – 4:30 PM ET: The U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office is holding a Hydropower Environmental and Industry R&D Summit to bring together the hydro community (both industry and environmental groups) to determine R&D needs and share insights. Hybrid – can attend in person in Washington, D.C., or virtually. Interested in participating? Contact Chris Hayes: chris@hydro.org; 514-795-8413.
June 13– Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) Award Applications Due:
The OSAW awards annually recognize deserving organizations in the waterpower industry for projects that exhibit exemplary operational, educational, historical, recreational, or environmental enhancement and stewardship. Learn more about the OSAW Award and submit your project here
- Featured Event Report: Powerhouse Roll-Up Door Incident
- An OpEx Event Report is an event or near miss experienced by a hydropower operator related to its operations, maintenance, environmental performance, or safety (dam, employee, or public). Have an experience to share? Submit an Event Report at hydroexcellence.org.
The NHA member-only OpEx program is the hydropower industry’s only voluntary event reporting system that receives, distributes, archives, and catalogs operating experiences and resulting best practices and lessons learned.
Industry Job Opportunities
NHA Is Hiring!
NHA seeks a Director of Legislative Affairs
Jobs at NHA Member Organizations!
Chelan County PUD is hiring Mechanic Apprentice Trainees
Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) is hiring a Hydro Compliance Engineer II-III
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is hiring a Hydropower Engineer
Tacoma Public Utilities is hiring for two positions Power Generation Mechanical Engineer and Power Generation Electrical Engineer
Check out the Career Center here NHA Career Center!
Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities
Sign Up to Receive Funding Notices from the U.S. Department of Energy – Register for the new list HERE
Check out NHA’s new Funding Sources Reference Guide
- Massive funding opportunities for clean energy were created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($62 billion) and the Inflation Reduction Act ($370 billion). To help navigate these opportunities, NHA has created a reference guide of funding opportunities that might be applicable to your hydropower, pumped storage, and marine energy projects.
- Click HERE to access the guide online
- This reference guide will be a “living” document — NHA will update the reference guide as the details of the various programs are announced.
Deadlines
March 29 at 1:00 PM ET – Informational webinar on recently announced OCED Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program ($300 million funding opportunity). See the details HERE.
April 4, 2:30 PM – 4 PM ET: U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar. Register HERE.
- Staff and leadership will dive into current and future funding opportunities, how the office is working with partners across the country and beyond, and other accomplishments, news, and updates since the last stakeholder webinar in November 2022.
April 14, 5 PM ET – Concept papers due for OCED ERA Program funding opportunity. NOTE: You must submit a concept paper if you plan to submit a full application.
May 24: Deadline for submissions for phase 1 of the “Energizing Rural Communities” Prize ($15 million in funding), part of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) Energy Improvements in Rural and Remote Areas (ERA) Program.
