Volume 3 Issue 4 April 2022
The Promise of Pumped Storage Hydropower By Kris Polly Pumped storage is an efficient, established, long-duration energy storage method that will become an increasingly crucial part of the grid in coming years as more and more variable renewable generation comes online. This issue’s focus on these facilities begins with a cover interview with Matthew Shapiro, […]
Volume 3 Issue 3 March 2022
The Colorado Drought and Hydropower Production By Kris Polly Everyone knows that drought means less water, but it may not be as immediately obvious that it can also mean less power. In the Colorado basin, however, that is becoming more and more apparent. In our dual cover stories this month, we speak with Nicholas Williams, […]
Volume 3 Issue 2 February 2022
Compliance Culture By Kris Polly As owners and operators of hydropower facilities well know, compliance with the regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other federal and state agencies is a major and crucial task. Building a culture of regulatory compliance within an organization is a key to planning and long-term success. This […]
Volume 3 Issue 1 January 2022
Sustainability and Specialization By Kris Polly The Colville Indian Reservation, located in central Washington State, is home to two of the nation’s largest hydroelectric stations, Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph Dams, and is just upriver of Wells Dam. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have a financial stake in these facilities and also depend […]
Volume 2 Issue 10 Nov/Dec 2021
Promoters of Progress, Public and Private By Kris Polly For our cover story, we have the honor of interviewing Representative Annie Kuster of New Hampshire. Representative Kuster was the cosponsor in the House of Representatives of the Twenty-First Century Dams Act, which would invest over $25 billion in dam upgrades, dam safety measures, and hydropower […]
Volume 2 Issue 9 October 2021
Promoters of Progress, Public and Private By Kris Polly Progress in hydropower is pushed forward by private companies; federal, state, and provincial entities; and even local agencies. All those levels are on view in this month’s Hydro Leader. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) funds important research into hydropower, marine energy, […]
Volume 2 Issue 8 September 2021
Hydropower: A Critical Part of the Energy Transition By Kris Polly As we move further into the 21st century, it is becoming clearer and clearer that hydropower will play a central role in the transition to a more renewable, carbon-free grid. And that means that large-scale projects to rehabilitate hydro fleets and advance new hydro […]
Volume 2 Issue 7 July/August 2021
Safety, Strategy, and Specialization By Kris Polly Hydropower facilities use technology to serve society. These specialized facilities—with their myriad specialized subcomponents—not only provide power for immediate use, they also provide community-shaping recreation opportunities and allow for long-term planning. To enable their success, hydropower professionals focus on making sure that facilities operate safely, fit into a […]
Volume 2 Issue 6 June 2021
Efficiency and Environmental Friendliness By Kris Polly One stereotype about hydropower holds that it deals with nothing more than massive, river-spanning dams with detrimental environmental effects. While large dams are certainly important (e.g., they protect downstream populations from floods), hydropower in the 21st century is making advances in efficiency and environmental friendliness in many fields. […]
Volume 2 Issue 5 May 2021
The Multidisciplinarity of Hydropower By Kris Polly Hydropower is multidisciplinary by nature: It involves civil and electrical engineering, turbine design, and hydrology, but it also touches many fields of law, including environmental and endangered species law, historical preservation regulations, natural resources law, and administrative law. All that means that hydro law is no simple field. […]
