An Informed Look at Decommissioning

By Kris Polly

As the U.S. hydropower fleet ages, utilities must decide what to do with structures that were state of the art 100 years ago but now pose increasing risks to downstream inhabitants. In some cases, full or partial decommissioning is the best choice. In our cover story this month, we get into the details of how one utility, Oregon’s Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), opted to decommission one hydropower dam while rebuilding parts of an associated canal. Lisa Krentz, EWEB’s generation manager, provides enlightening information on the reasons behind the decision.

Pumped storage is a hot topic in the hydro world right now, but two major factors can complicate the development of new projects: the search for appropriate locations and the long time frame required for construction. The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, has a solution to these issues in the form of its new m‑Presa design for a modular, closed-loop pumped storage plant that uses two circular buttress dams. SwRI Senior Scientist Gordon Wittmeyer tells us more.

Powertech Labs is a global leader in testing and engineering services for hydropower generation, transmission, and distribution. We speak with Reza Soltani, Powertech’s principal engineer and division manager for field asset services and testing, to hear more about what the company can do for hydropower clients.

Then, we speak with Alison Jakupca, a principal consultant and the chair of the board of the employee-owned consulting firm Kleinschmidt Associates. We hear about the firm’s approach to aiding hydropower clients with relicensing and ask Ms. Jakupca about her insights into leadership.

Next, we hear about a new concept to increase the energy output of hydropower facilities by incorporating vortexes. David Sattler of Marstecs sketches out the concept and how his company is seeking to actualize it.

Last, we speak with Colin Hastings, the executive director of the Pasco Chamber of Commerce, and Jodi Henderson, the government and community relations manager at Benton County Public Utility District, about RiverFest, a free, family-friendly annual event in Kennewick, Washington, that engages thousands of local residents to learn about the benefits of the Columbia basin’s hydropower dams.

Hydropower facilities are far more long lasting than most forms of energy generation infrastructure, but even their life cycles sometimes reach an end. However, as century-old facilities are decommissioned, new technologies are being developed and new structures being envisioned for 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.