Dr. Kenneth Henwood Award

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.

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