The Latest:

NHA Meets with White House, FERC

NHA, working on behalf of its members to advocate for hydropower in all its forms, met this week with senior officials at the White House and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to urge that hydropower relicensing and relicensing in included in any energy permitting reform package enacted this year.

NHA’s CEO Malcolm Woolf and member organizations New York Power Authority (represented by COO Joseph Kessler) and Troutman Pepper (represented by Partner Charles Sensiba) met with John Podesta, Senior Advisor to President Biden for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation.

CEO Woolf, Michael Purdie, NHA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and Markets, and Charles Sensiba also met with the new chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Willie Phillips.

NHA emphasized that hydropower and pumped storage are the only flexible, zero-carbon resources, and are especially critical as we transition to a grid increasingly powered by variable wind and solar. As such, we urged that meaningful hydropower licensing reform be included in any energy permitting reform package enacted by Congress this year.

NHA’s Scouting Report

Here’s how NHA is working on your behalf

NHA Secures High-Level Government Officials to Address Industry at Waterpower Week in Washington, D.C., May 8-10 

Just-announced speakers include: 

  • David Turk, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy 
  • Allison Clements, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 
  • U.S. Senator Steve Daines, R-Montana 
  • Malcolm Turnbull, 29th Prime Minister of Australia 

All speakers at this national policy conference are listed HERE 

NHA and Uncommon Dialogue Participants Send Letter to DOE Secretary Granholm, Responding to Concerns with Hydro Incentives Program Section 247 

NHA was joined by six other organizations, Uncommon Dialogue participants, in a joint, undersigned letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.  

The letter addresses concerns with Section 247, which pertains to maintaining and enhancing existing hydropower facilities, as the organizations believe that the draft guidance doesn’t serve the goal of incentivizing environmental, grid resiliency, and dam safety investments in the nation’s existing hydropower and pumped storage fleet. 

Read the full text of the letter HERE. 

Half a Billion is Flowing for Waterpower, and How You Can Access It 

With hundreds of millions of dollars beginning to become available for the waterpower industry, understanding where and how to access those funds represents a challenge, a topic NHA has addressed in POWERHOUSE, as it relates to the IIJA, BIL, and IRA 

To further meet the industry’s need for information, NHA is offering the following: 

  • “Ask the Expert” webinar series for NHA member organizations to identify and connect you with funding opportunities – 1st one is April 12, 1-2 PM ET – featured speaker: U.S. Department of Agriculture.  
  • April 26, “Show Me the Money!” session at the NHA Midwest Regional Meeting, co-organized by the Midwest Hydro Users Group and hosted by Alliant Energy. The session features a special presentation on the Hydroelectric Incentives Program by Luciana Ciocci, stakeholder engagement lead for the program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office. For details on the overall meeting and to register, click HERE. 
  • May 8-10: 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 for the detailed program schedule; search for “Show Me the Money”; click HERE to register for the conference. 

 

NHA’s Work with DOE Pays Off; Biden Administration Recognizes and Pledges to Support Marine Energy

Thanks, in part, to NHA’s work with DOE, the Biden Administration’s Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP), released in March, outlined not only the potential of marine energy but how the U.S. will support its growth. 

The Ocean Climate Action Plan aims to rapidly and responsibly advance the commercialization of marine energy technologies as an integral component of the Administration’s carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 goals. 

The potential of marine energy is also explored in the action plan, which evaluates total marine energy potential in the United States to be the equivalent of 57% of all U.S. electrical power generation in 2019.  

While the U.S. marine energy industry develops, the Biden Administration says it aims to help said developments by investing in research to advance technology and contribute to a flexible, reliable grid. 

Read the action plan HERE (marine energy references start on page 30). 


 

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:

We are 33 days from Waterpower Week in Washington! Our question this week is:

How many Professional Development Hours are attendees eligible for this year at Waterpower Week in Washington? 

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:

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 Hydropwer Market Report, what percentage of all utility-scale energy storage does Pumped Storage account for in the United States? 

Last Edition’s Answer: According to the 2021 edition of the Hydropower Market Report, PSH currently accounts for 93% of all utility-scale energy storage in the United States.   

Upcoming Events

  • April 5, 1 PM ET: U.S. Department of Energy Webinar: Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program; Registration Required
  • 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: Public Affairs Meeting
  • April 15: Deadline to respond to the Clean Currents Call for Speakers  
  • April 18: Responses Due to the Annual Safety Survey (see details in Committee/Council Corner)
  • 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 2, 2 PM ET: Legislative Affairs Committee Monthly Virtual Meeting
  • May 8-10: Waterpower Week in Washington D.C.
  • May 9: Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
  • June 13: 2023 OSAW Applications Close 
  • July 25-26: Northeast Regional Meeting in Springfield, Massachusetts. Host Utility: FirstLight Power
  • August 24: National Hydropower Day
  • September 12-13: Alaska Regional Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska: host: Alaska Energy Authority; association supporter: Alaska Power Association 
  • 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
NHA Committees and Councils at Waterpower Week in Washington

  • Future Leaders of Waterpower:
    • Monday, May 8, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM FLOW/Young Professionals After Party (ticket required) 
  • Legislative Affairs Committee:
    • Wednesday, May 10, 1:30 – 2:30 PM ET
  • Marine Energy Council:
    • Monday, May 8, 9 – 11:30 AM ET
    • Wednesday, May 10, 1:30 – 4 PM ET – U.S. Department of Energy and Marine Energy Council Dialogue
  • Pumped Storage Development Council:
    • Wednesday, May 10, 3 – 4 PM ET
  • Regulatory Affairs Committee:
    • Wednesday, May 10, 3 – 4 PM ET

 

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 18 – New due date for submitting responses to the 2023 Safety Survey. Several NHA member organizations have requested additional time to submit data to this year’s joint safety survey with the Electrical Cost Group’s Hydroelectric Productivity Committee.  

As the only survey focused solely on the hydropower industry, all participating companies are anonymous. Participants receive a summary file along with blinded file with this year’s data. 

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 Tuesday, April 18, 2023. 

April 26: There will be a special question and answer session at the 2023 Midwest Regional Meeting with the Midwest Regional FERC Engineer, Kevin Griebenow. Register today for your chance to ask your burning questions on FERC Part 12 and other Dam Safety issues.  

May 10: David Capka, Director of FERC D2SI, has confirmed for the Update from FERC Division of Dam Safety and Inspections session at Waterpower Week in D.C. The session will be held May 10 from 10:15 – 11:15 am ET. NHA is working with HTC Dam Safety Subcommittee Vice-Chair Jillian Lawrence to compile a list of topics and questions for Dave Capka to review in advance.  

Monthly 45-Minute “Lunch and Learn” Webinar Series to Begin in April 

  • April 19: ”Lessons Learned from Transformer Bushing Failure at Hoover Dam,” presentation by Mark Cook, Facility Manager of Hoover Dam, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior; meeting request has been sent – if it’s not on your calendar, let Chris Hayes (chris@hydro.org) know. 
  • May 17: “New Sensor Needs for Hydropower Equipment,” presentation by John Yale, Principal Electrical Engineer, Chelan County Public Utility District; the meeting request has been sent, and if it’s not on your calendar, let Chris Hayes (chris@hydro.org) know. 
  • Webinars of the above presentations will be recorded and posted in the NHA Member Portal, creating an on-demand library for operational and technical topics.   
  • Contact Chris Hayes at chris@hydro.org with questions.     

 

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

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

May 19: Overview of Revisions to Part 12 Program, virtual, offered by the National Hydropower Association and delivered by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); for details, email: chris@hydro.org

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. 


Legislative Affairs Committee

NHA staff contact: Brittney May

  • May 2, 2 PM ET: Legislative Affairs Committee Monthly Virtual Meeting  
  • Save the date: May 9, NHA’s Advocacy Day Join others in efforts to elevate important waterpower initiatives on Capitol Hill. NHA will make your appointments for you – sign up for these when you register for Waterpower Week. To prepare for your meetings, check out our article on effective advocacy!   

Marine Energy Council

NHA staff contact: Kelly Rogers

Mark Your Calendars! 

 

  • April 6, 1 PM ET: Live Demo – Marine Energy Atlas, presented by U.S. Department of Energy 
    • Water Power Technologies Office R&D Deep Dive: Shaping the Future of the Marine Energy Atlas. Register HERE 
    • This interactive deep dive will include a live demonstration of the Marine Energy Atlas and an open discussion on what data and features should be added or changed to this open-access tool.  
    • Your feedback will directly shape future iterations of the Atlas. 
  • April 18, 3 PM ET: April MEC “Featured Presentation” with presenters from the Tide Mill InstituteAdd to Calendar
  • May 8, 9 AM ET: Marine Energy Sector Showcase at Waterpower Week in Washington, DC. To ensure we have time for all sector updates, we prepared a question template, which is available HERE.  Please let Kelly Rogers (kelly@hydro.org) know if you would like to present on recent developments, or work, you are doing in your marine energy company/organization.   
  • May 8, 10:15 AM ET: In-person MEC Monthly Member Meeting at Waterpower Week. Immediately following the “Marine Energy Sector Showcase,” join the MEC for an in-person member meeting.

ICYMI: March “Featured Presentation” with Elena Baca and David Snowberg from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), who presented on two ongoing projects at NREL. Watch the recording HERE

UMERC (University Marine Energy Research Community) released its “Analyzing the U.S. Marine Energy Technological Innovation System” report. Check it out HERE. You’ll find recommendations for how to support innovation in the sector.  


Markets Committee

NHA staff contact: Michael Purdie

Wholesale Electricity Markets News: 

  • ISO-NEThe Forward Capacity Auction (FCA) calendar for FCA 18 has started.  Retirement and permanent de-lists are due April 6. 
  • MISOFERC grants waiver to allow MISO to delay opening the auction window to April 18 with results published May 19 (Docket No: ER23-1465). 
  • PJMMonitoring Analytics, PJM’s Market Monitor, alleges that by not allowing its participation at the Liason Committee, PJM is violating the Operating Agreement.  Answers are due April 17.  NHA is planning on responding with multiple other trade associations protesting the Monitoring Analytics complaint (Docket No: EL23-50). 
  • PJMFERC approved PJM’s Non-Performance Charges Amendment on April 3 (Docket No. ER23-1010).  This amendment creates a transitional phase of billing following the Winter Storm Elliot event and a permanent change that would levy charges for the relevant delivery year plus six months, but not to exceed nine months.   

Please reach out to Mike Purdie at michael@hydro.org for further information. 


Public Affairs Committee

NHA staff contact: LeRoy Coleman

  • April 13, 1 PM ET: Committee Meeting on “Crisis Communications Planning: Are You Prepared?” – Add to calendar 
  • August 24: National Hydropower Day! #HydroDay 

Pumped Storage Development Council

NHA staff contact: Brittney May

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. 

 

April 26: Special Presentation at the NHA Midwest Regional Meeting:Opportunities for combining pumped storage projects with wind and solar technologies.” The NHA Midwest Regional Meeting is co-organized by the Midwest Hydro Users Group and hosted by Alliant Energy. For details on the overall meeting and to register, click HERE. 


Regulatory Affairs Committee 

NHA staff contact: Michael Purdie

  • April 10: Comments due for CEQ’s Interim Guidance on consideration of greenhouse gas impacts in NEPA reviews (link). NHA is filing comments; if you have comments, please share with Michael Purdie (michael@hydro.org). 
  • April 11, 2 PM ET: IRA Working Group call 
  • April 12, 4 PM ET: Member call for those interested in FERC License Amendments for Non-Capacity-Related Amendments 
  • April 18, 4 PM ET: Monthly Regulatory Affairs Virtual Meeting

Small Hydropower Council

NHA staff contact: Kelly Rogers

  • April 18 at 3 PM ET – April “Featured Presentation” with presenters from the Tide Mill Institute – Add to Calendar 
  • April 27 at 12 PM ET – Monthly Member Call on the project lifecycle phase of “Licensing/Re-licensing.” 

Have you met Emrgy’s Emily Morris, Small Hydro Council Chair, yet? Go HERE to see a message from the Council Chair! 

Recording of the March member meeting is available in the NHA Portal! Check it out 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 


Waterpower Innovation Council

NHA staff contact: Chris Hayes

  • April 25: Hydropower Environmental and Industry R&D Summit — NHA is looking for volunteers to participate in the 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!  

  • April 26: Mark Christian with EPRI will present on a new Department of Energy-funded tool meant to highlight the value of flexible energy generation at the NHA Midwest Regional Meeting, co-organized by the Midwest Hydro Users Group and hosted by Alliant Energy. For details on the overall meeting and to register, click HERE 
  • 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

Call to Action: Need NHA member organizations to meet with their Senators and Representatives! Make Hydro’s Voice Heard this spring.  

Find out how HERE    

  

Reach out to Your University Connections – Encourage Participation in 2024 Collegiate Competitions – Deadline to Sign Up is April 24  

April 24: Deadline to apply to participate; all selected teams will be invited to compete in the rest of the competition.  

Funding Schedule: Institutions will be selected to compete. Selected teams’ lead institutions will be eligible to receive $5,000 each. 

Hydropower Collegiate Competition 

Marine Energy Collegiate Competition

NHA New Member Spotlight

NHA is always excited to welcome new members to join

 


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.

Movers and Shakers 

Eric Turgeon, Kleinschmidt, named FERCapproved independent consultant. 

NHA Congratulates  

 

Tennessee Valley Authority 

TVA, an NHA member organization, for entering into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy, via its Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), to enhance collaboration on hydropower technology development, focusing on quantifying the value hydro and pumped storage provide to the gride while using models to forecast the effects of climate change on TVA’s hydro systems. Read more HERE. 

 

NHA’s Marine Energy Intern Ryan Proulx 

Ryan Proulx is a sophomore at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he’s studying engineering and environmental science as it relates to energy systems decision-making. He’s excited to learn more about the state of the marine energy sector and deep-water marine hydrokinetic devices. 

 

Waterpower Week in D.C. supporters!  

Thank you for making this important policy conference possible. NHA graciously acknowledges the support of NHA member organizations, who are financially supporting the national policy conference – supporters are listed HERE. 

 

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. 

Membership Tip of the Week

What’s the difference between a committee and a council? 

 

See explanation HERE 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Tip of the Week

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:  What is diversity?  

Diversity is about the characteristics – both external and internal – that make each of us unique.  

This goes beyond visible distinctions such as race or age to include religion, gender identity, neurodivergence, and even where someone grew up. 

There are many ways to be diverse and contribute your unique, valuable perspective to your team. 

Read more about DEI at NHA HERE. 

Connect & Learn

How NHA is helping its members connect, learn, network, and do business with each other and the entire waterpower industry

 

Mark Your Calendars! 

NHA is coming to a region near you in 2023! 

  • Midwest – April 25-26, Middleton (suburb of Madison), Wisconsin 
  • Northeast – July25-26, Springfield, Massachusetts 
  • Alaska – September 12-13, Anchorage, Alaska 
  • California – December 13-14, San Diego, California 
 

Waterpower Week – So Many Opportunities!

 

April 15 Deadline: Volunteer to Speak 

 

Take advantage of Member Discounts for companies exhibiting or sponsoring at October’s Clean Currents – see who has already committed!    

 

Stay connected by reading POWERHOUSE. You get an email every Monday from powerhouse@hydro.org. Don’t see it in your inbox? Add us to your safe senders list to get us out of spam/quarantine! 
Viewcurrent and ongoing innovative research within the WaterPower Research Portal.     

 

Getting On Your Radar…

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 18 – New 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 24 at 3 PM ET Join Sandia National Laboratory for the presentation “An Introduction to Water Power,” an educational opportunity exploring the history and development of marine energy. Learn from national laboratory researchers studying water power as they explain the benefits of marine energy. Register HERE. 

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 

Operational Excellence Program (OpEx)

  • 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

Still, looking for your summer intern?

Posting an internship on NHA’s Career Center is free! Learn More Here   

NHA Member Organizations with Job Openings 

Tacoma Public Utilities 

Chelan County PUD 

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. 

 

Start NOW on Registering with SAM (System for Award Management) 

NHA has learned that all organizations receiving federal funding need to register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at sam.gov 

Designating an Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) and obtaining a special password called an MPIN are important steps in SAM registration.  

A SAM registration has to be updated annually.  

Upon registration, SAM will automatically assign a Unique Entity ID (UEI).  

NOTE:  Due to the high demand of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process.  Entities should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible. 

If entities have technical difficulties with the UEI validation or SAM registration process they should utilize the HELP feature on SAM.gov. SAM.gov will work entity service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that entities not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue.   

 

Deadlines 

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. 

April 19, 2 pm ET: Alert! For developers of pumped storage projects at abandoned mines – a Webinar on the U.S. Department of Energy’s funding to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of deploying clean energy projects on both current (operating) and former (abandoned or inactive) mine land ($500 million available). Registration required for the webinar. 

May 8: Deadline to submit an application 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.  
  • Applications must be submitted to the Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunity Exchange, Apply HERE 

May 11: Alert! For developers of pumped storage projects at abandoned mines – deadline to submit a Concept Paper for a demonstration project to show technical and economic viability of deploying clean energy on current (operating) and former (abandoned or inactive) mine land. A demonstration that involves energy storage, including pumped storage hydropower and ​compressed air storage, is eligible. $500 million available. Click HERE for more details; a concept paper is required to be eligible 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. 

June 20: Deadline to submit an application 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.  
  • Applications must be submitted to the Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunity Exchange, Apply HERE 

August 25: Alert! For wave energy technology developers – deadline to submit a proposal for phase 1 of the InDEEP prize for funding to investigate novel technologies for harnessing and converting the power of ocean waves into usable types of energy.  

  • The prize seeks to foster the development of distributed embedded energy converter technologies (DEEC-Tec), which combine many small energy converters, often less than a few centimeters in size, into a single, larger ocean wave energy converter.  
  • This larger system could convert energy from a wide range of ocean locations and wave types. 
  • InDEEP aims to support early-stage DEEC-Tec research that lays the foundation for the eventual deployment of these technologies at all scales, including to provide power to electricity grids.  
  • Phase I will center on team building and concept creation, awarding up to 20 teams $15,000 each.  
  • Click HERE for more details. 

 

Want to team with a U.S. Department of Energy National Lab to work on long-duration storage? 

Click HERE to add your organization to the list of teaming partners.  

Background: 

  • U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is making up to $15 million available for DOE National Laboratories to do work in two areas: long-duration energy storage and clean hydrogen. 
  • April 28 is deadline for labs to submit concept papers (a concept paper is required to be eligible to apply for funding) 
  • Labs are to bring together stakeholders to facilitate discussion around divergent practices, identify commercialization challenges, and work collaboratively to develop and begin to implement recommendations and best practices for resolving challenges that arise from many entities doing similar work in isolation. 
  • Labs access a Teaming Partner List to find organizations who are interested in exploring partnerships with them. 

 

Are you a Small Business Looking for Loan Financing?  

Applications being accepted on a rolling basis for the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvements State-Level Guaranteed Loans & Grants   

Funding for a Tidal RD&D site, Community-led Tidal Energy Planning and Project Execution  

The Department of Energy released a revised Notice of Intent (NOI) for the $45 million funding opportunity titled, “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Section 41006(a)(2): U.S. Tidal Energy Advancement.” See the revised notice HERE. No application timeline has been released yet. 

Sign Up to Receive Funding Notices from the U.S. Department of Energy – Register for the new list HERE