Hydropower, Large and Small

By Kris Polly

In our cover story this month, we interview Christopher Stoltz, who runs the Section 212 Hydropower Rehabilitation Program at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Nashville District. He explains how the program, which plows energy revenue from the Army Corps’ hydroelectric fleet back into maintenance and upgrades, is keeping 75‑year-old Cumberland basin facilities going strong.

After that, we turn our focus to Alaska’s remote Kodiak Island, where the Kodiak Electric Association (KEA) uses hydropower and wind to power the city of Kodiak, a coast guard base, and the local fish processing industry with 98 percent renewable energy. KEA’s president and CEO, Dan Menth, tells us how the association has expanded the remote Terror Lake hydropower facility—accessible only by air or water—and integrated it with wind, flywheels, and other energy sources. He also lays out possible scenarios for load growth and how KEA plans to deal with them.

The addition of small hydro units to existing dams and other infrastructure is a hot topic in the hydropower world, and this month, we bring you two stories that show how it can be done. First, we speak with Jerry Young, the general manager of Tri‑County Water Conservancy District in rural western Colorado. Tri‑County entered into a Lease of Power Privilege agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to build a hydropower unit at Ridgway Dam, which has been operating since 2014. Mr. Young outlines the process of developing the unit, describes the details of generating power at a facility mainly operated for water delivery, and provides his advice for other dam owners and operators.

Then, we speak with David Kinloch of Appalachian Hydro Associates (AHA), which develops hydropower in Kentucky, working with Appalachian companies and benefiting the local community. By building in existing river locks and establishing an unconventional funding partnership with a local college, AHA has successfully developed several small hydro projects and is planning to do more.

Finally, we turn to two major companies in the hydropower space. First, we talk with Michael Rice, the hydro business development lead at Kraemer North America, a 115‑year-old heavy civil construction company based in Wisconsin. Kraemer’s excellence and thoroughness have earned it consistent business from the Army Corps, for which it has executed numerous facility improvements. Then, we interview Melvin Koleber, the sales and development manager for dams, reservoirs, and hydro solutions at Orbinox, a global provider of engineered flowcontrol solutions founded in Spain. Its high-quality gates and valves have also earned repeat business from major federal asset owners, such as the Army Corps and Reclamation.

The major federal hydropower systems of the Army Corps and Reclamation provide gigawatts of reliable power for the U.S. grid. But hydropower is also a versatile energy source for niche and smaller applications. On Kodiak Island, it is the backbone of a nearly fully renewable system, while in Colorado, Kentucky, and elsewhere, it is being added to existing structures to boost local clean power production with limited environmental impact. Large and small, hydropower is proving its value to the American power grid.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Hydro Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.