The U.S. Department of Energy is committing more than $200 million to modernize and expand hydropower and advance marine-energy technologies across the country.
The investment, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was announced Tuesday by the DOE. The funding includes support for two hydroelectric incentives within the agency's Hydroelectric Incentives Program (HIP); applications for the incentives are currently being accepted by the DOE.
"Hydropower is a key component of renewable energy generation and currently provides 6% of all electricity in the United States," the DOE states in the announcement. "However, less than 3% of the nation’s more than 90,000 dams currently produce power. Adding generation equipment to these sites could add up to 12 gigawatts of new hydropower capacity to the U.S. electric system and provide reliable, affordable power to communities across the nation."
The HIP, which is administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO), is soliciting applications for two separate incentive opportunities, according to the news release. The Hydroelectric Production Incentives pays incentives of up to $125 million to qualified hydroelectric facilities for electricity generated and sold in 2021 and 2022; the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives funds $75 million to support capital improvements to boost efficiency, the release states.
DOE investments to develop new marine energy technologies and increase the hydropower and marine energy workforce include a $2.3 million for "novel technologies" to use ocean waves' power in clean-energy production; as well as funding for hydropower and marine-energy collegiate competitions and a federal research program for marine-energy graduate students, according to the news release.
"Water power is the nation's oldest source of renewable energy and an integral part of the suite of clean energy solutions that we must continue to deploy in our fight against climate change," DOE Sec. Jennifer Granholm said in the news release.
"The President's clean energy agenda is providing the investments necessary to further grow and improve existing hydropower fleets while supporting the next wave of water power technologies, ensuring a steady flow of cheap and reliable power to more Americans," Granholm said.
