Volume 3 Issue 5 May
May 5, 2022By Kris Polly The hydropower industry is often plagued by the misperception that the term fish-friendly dam is an oxymoron. In fact, hydro operators work tirelessly to ensure that their facilities are safe for fish and that the rivers on which they are located remain hospitable habitats. Idaho Power has taken recent relicensing processes as an opportunity to carry out hatchery programs, temperature mitigation activities, river channel maintenance, and dam upgrades. We speak with Idaho Power’s Jim Chandler about these efforts. Similarly, when Snohomish County Public Utility District in Washington had to relicense its Jackson Hydroelectric Project, it committed to…
The Bureau of Reclamation’s David Raff: How the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funds Aquatic Restoration
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocates $250 million to the Bureau of Reclamation to fund aquatic restoration projects. This summer, Reclamation will develop a funding opportunity for project selection.…
Fish-Friendly Hydropower Production at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pacific Northwest Facilities
With 75 power-producing dams, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the largest generator of hydropower in the United States. Most of its largest hydroelectric dams are located on the Columbia, Snake, Willamette, and Rogue Rivers in…
A Partnership for Endangered Fish on the Colorado River
For more than 30 years, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has brought water users, power interests, conservation groups, and state and federal agencies together to support the recovery of endangered fish species. In this…
How the Relicensing of a Hydro Project Led to Improvements for Salmon on Washington State’s Sultan River
It’s been 10 years since Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) relicensed its Jackson Hydroelectric Project on the Sultan River. Since that time, the utility has followed through on commitments made as part of the relicensing agreement…
Jim Chandler on Idaho Power’s Plans to Improve Fisheries and Water Quality in the Snake River
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process for several of Idaho Power’s 15 FERC-licensed hydroelectric projects has spawned fresh thinking about how to manage fish passage and water quality. Nearly 60 years after an agreement to…
In the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy, Pumped Storage Will Be Critical
As the United States moves toward a low-carbon economy, zero-carbon emitting sources of electricity will be increasingly critical to stabilize the electric grid and prevent outages, including those associated with extreme weather events. Wind and solar resources…
John Eastwood on His Half-Century in Energy Development and the Future of Pumped Storage
John Eastwood has spent more than 50 years in the energy development industry, with experience on many continents in fields including civil and hydraulic engineering; turbine and pump manufacturing and sales; and wind, solar, and hydro project…
How an Ice Boom Is Aiding Operations at the New York Power Authority’s Vischer Ferry Project
Hydropower makes up more than 80 percent of the electricity produced by the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the largest state public power organization in the nation. What happens when winter ice flows threaten to clog up…
The International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower: Exploring How to Scale Up Investment and Adaptation
As the use of renewables grows globally, why hasn’t pumped storage hydro been more widely adopted as a way to store energy and provide flexibility to the grid? In 2020, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) convened the…
Progress on Idaho’s Cat Creek Energy and Water Project
The Cat Creek Energy & Water project (CCEW) is a major pumped storage and renewable energy generation project that is scheduled to be built north of Mountain Home, Idaho, on the South Fork of the Boise River.…
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