Volume 3 Issue 7 July/August
July 27, 2022By Kris Polly Supply chain disruptions and delays have filled the news for a year now. But how have those disruptions played out for the utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, and contractors in the hydro industry? This month, we dive into the question. Our cover interview is with Debra Smith, the general manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, which serves a population of nearly a million and gets 86 percent of its energy from hydropower. Ms. Smith tells us about the utility’s push toward electrification, its plans for a new generation, and its experiences with supply chain disruptions and labor shortages.…
What You Should Know About the National Hydropower Association’s Clean Currents 2022 Conference
The National Hydropower Association (NHA) will be holding its industrywide Clean Currents 2022 trade show and conference the week of October 17 in Sacramento, California. Marla Barnes, NHA’s vice president of membership and industry engagement, gives us…
Stuart Cohen of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Analyzing Pumped Hydro’s Role in a Stable Electricity Grid
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office is funding the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to create models for pumped hydro storage, an important tool for creating stability on the power grid. The models will…
Paul Meeks: Confronting Supply Chain Challenges at Worthington Products
How are supply chain issues affecting manufacturers who serve the hydro industry? What are companies doing to confront supply chain shortages, transportation delays, and price increases? To get a manufacturer’s perspective, Hydro Leader spoke with Paul Meeks,…
Darren Lampe: How Supply Chain Disruptions Are Affecting a Small Specialty Hydro Construction Company
Darren Lampe is the owner of D.A. Lampe Construction, a small hydro construction company based in Chico, California, that specializes in remote, difficult-access construction and repair projects. While supply chain disruptions have led to rapid and unpredictable…
N. Christian Porse: Managing Risk and Supply-Chain Uncertainty at Mavel
Czech Republic–based Mavel has designed and manufactured turbines and provided related equipment for hydroelectric power projects in 45 countries since 1990 with capacity ranging from 30 kilowatts to 30 megawatts. Hydro Leader spoke with U.S. Regional Sales…
Ty Ehrman of Grant Public Utility District on Supply Chain Issues, Employee Retention, and Increasing Generation
Grant Public Utility District (PUD) operates two Columbia River dams to bring power to the rural, predominantly agricultural region of Grant County in north-central Washington State. The customer-owned public utility has low rates that are attractive to…
Jan Nimick of Pacific Gas and Electric: Long-Term Planning Amid Unpredictable Supply Chain Disruptions
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is a major California utility that serves around 16 million people with a portfolio in which hydropower plays a major role. The supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic…
Debra Smith of Seattle City Light: Planning for an Electric Future
Debra Smith brings years of experience in finance, risk management, and running utilities to her current role as the general manager and CEO of Seattle City Light. The utility serves a population of nearly a million and…
Jiří Ruml: A World Expert on Generators
Jiří Ruml has more than half a century of experience working with generators, going back to the early 1960s. Working for the Czechoslovak firm Škoda, he helped design more than 70 generators for hydropower plants across the…
Introducing FEMA’s New Dam Safety Warning Signs Manual
In September 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released Dam Safety Warning Signs Best Practices, a manual that compiles leading practices from industry leaders including federal agencies and industry organizations from the United States and Canada.…
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