Suppliers for the Hydropower of the Future 

By Kris Polly

This month, I have the great pleasure of introducing to our readership Greg Morrison, the new executive vice president of the National Water Resources Association (NWRA). Mr. Morrison is an excellent addition to the NWRA team and brings with him extensive experience in western water, policy development, communications, testifying before Congress, and more. The NWRA is the leading advocate for western water issues, and I encourage all our readers to get involved with it. 

In the rest of this issue, we highlight numerous companies that provide a wide range of services and products to the hydropower industry. First, we speak with Ben Badalamente of Bollfilter, which provides a variety of filters for applications including hydropower. 

Monmet is a metal engineering and supply company that provides cast and forged components to numerous industries, including hydro facilities across North America. We speak with Founder and President Mark Cahill about how the company spans the gap between the decline of the foundry business in North America and the growing demand for components for power facilities. 

Dewesoft provides cutting-edge data acquisition and monitoring hardware and software for a broad range of industries, including the energy sector and hydropower in particular. Business Development Director Bojan Čontala tells us about the company’s products for the hydro industry and explains why data acquisition and analytics will be critical for hydro companies in the future. 

Thermofin is a custom designer of heat transfer products that are widely used in hydropower facilities across North America. We speak with General Manager Alexandre Beuque and U.S. Sales Manager Peter Longley about the company’s product range and what it can offer to a growing power industry. 

Last, we speak with Jarid Leighty of H&N Electric, a Washington State–based electric motor and generator repair facility that forms part of the Timken Power Systems network. He tells us about H&N’s capabilities and highlights several recent Pacific Northwest hydropower projects. 

Consultants, designers, distributors, suppliers, repair shops, and technological innovators: All have a critical role in the hydropower industry. As we move into a new era of increased demand for electricity, a more variable grid, and new technological capabilities, hydropower has great potential. With the cooperation of all these players, hydropower can become the linchpin of the grid of the future. 

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.