Support hydropower to create 1.4m jobs, Congress urged

July 20, 2010

Even without a national dam building program, the hydropower companies said investment in existing dam facilities could offer tens of thousands more megawatts of generating capacity
The US hydropower industry is poised to double America’s renewable energy generating capacity and create 1.4 million new jobs, Congress was told yesterday.

More than a dozen hydropower companies wrote to every member of Congress to state that, with the right support, 60,000 megawatts of clean energy could be added to the nation’s generating portfolio over the next 15 years.

The National Hydropower Association members are calling on Congress to support a bill introduced last week by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski proposing extra funding for hydroelectric projects (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

The companies said the legislation would allow for existing dams to be put into use generating renewable energy, while existing hydropower projects could be upgraded to become more efficient.

Using pumped storage, tidal and wave power resources, the letter to Congress suggested capacity could be boosted without a new national dam-building campaign.

Potential

NHA President Andrew Munro said: “Development of sustainable hydropower resources must be a priority in energy legislation.

“Untapped hydropower generation, primarily from existing facilities and new pumped storage opportunities, has the potential to create 1.4 million American jobs and support the doubling of US renewable energy resources.”

The companies want to see more financial incentives made available for hydropower projects and pumper storage projects, including inclusion of new hydropower projects within a national Renewable Electricity Standard currently being proposed.

The letter to Congress said more research and development funding was needed, along with a streamlining of regulatory processes for developments on federal lands.

David Moller of utility PG&E, one of the firms that signed the letter to congress, said: “Hydropower has been a critical source of renewable energy for Pacific Gas & Electric Company as part of a diverse portfolio of low-carbon sources of energy. We support legislation that helps expand the use of hydropower in an environmentally responsible way.”