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. […]
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2021

Powering the Future By Kris Polly Through technological innovations, regulatory revisions, and constant advances in management, the U.S. hydropower industry is preparing to power the future. In this month’s Hydro Leader, we speak with representatives of numerous federal agencies, local hydropower entities, and industry professionals. Max Spiker has three decades of experience in the Bureau […]
Volume 2 Issue 3 March 2021

Dam Safety in the United States and Canada In this month’s Hydro Leader, Malcolm Woolf, the president and CEO of the National Hydropower Association, the national trade association for the hydropower association, tells us about new developments in the water power world. Hydropower plays an important role in supporting the grid and enabling the use […]
Volume 2 Issue 2 February 2021

Hydro Rehab, Large and Small Maintaining hydroelectric facilities in good working order is critical for several reasons. Hydroelectric facilities are major power producers for our nation and will only become more important as renewable energy standards become more stringent. Moreover, hydroelectric facilities that fall into poor repair can pose significant hazards to life and property. […]
Volume 2 Issue 1 January 2021

Guaranteeing the Future of Hydropower Around the World Hydropower holds great promise as an energy source for the future. Not only is it renewable and carbon neutral, it also helps stabilize electricity grids and enables the integration of other renewable sources, including solar and wind power. Around the world, organizations like the Northwest Hydroelectric Association […]