The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it filed a Request for Information (RFI) for public feedback for $630 million in investments in hydropower facilities.
The funding will be provided through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and investments will support “maintaining and enhancing hydroelectricity incentives” and “hydroelectric efficiency improvement incentives” programs, according to a June 30 press release.
“Water is one of humankind’s oldest methods of generating energy, and with technological advancements, we can harness this renewable power as a core driver for the nation’s clean energy transition,” Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, said in the release. “The investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law recognize that hydroelectricity is essential to strengthening the power grid and providing reliable, clean, and affordable energy for our communities as we transition to a net-zero economy.”
Managed by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Program provides $553.6 million to 'enhance' existing hydropower facilities and the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program provides $75 million to owners or operators of hydroelectric facilities, according to the release.
"Hydropower can help us strengthen our grids and bring communities affordable, reliable power,” the DOE stated in a June 30 tweet. “We want you to share how you think we should invest (more than) $600 million in two infrastructure law programs to modernize these facilities."
People can submit comments about the investment plans by email at WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov.
