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On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it had awarded nearly 300 projects across 33 states up to $430 million in incentive payments to upgrade hydropower facilities.
Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives program incentives will be administered by the Grid Deployment Office (GDO). The incentives are provided to enhance dam safety, improve grid resilience and protect hydropower jobs, officials said.
“As our earliest form of renewable energy generation, hydropower has reliably kept America running for almost 150 years—and the Biden-Harris Administration is ensuring these long-standing facilities can continue the steady flow of clean power,” U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said. “Today’s funding will expand and modernize our hydropower fleet, while protecting thousands of American jobs.”
Officials said the funding will replace or upgrade turbines and generators, upgrade emergency spillways; and facilitate environmental and recreational improvements by improving water conditions and expanding surrounding habitats and passages for fish and other species.
Currently, hydropower accounts for more than a quarter (27 percent) of renewable electricity generated in American, as well as 93 percent of all utility-scale energy storage. However, officials said, hydropower facilities are aging with many in need of repair and upgrades.
Of the 293 projects awarded fund, 84 were for grid resilience, 149 were for dam safety and 60 would pay for environmental improvements. The funding is expected to protect more than 6,000 jobs at hydropower facilities including for contractors and vendors.