Department of Energy Announces Up To $32 Million For Hydropower Expansion

Steven Chu, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy announced yesterday that funding will be made available from Recovery Act funds to modernize infrastructure for hydropower in the U.S.  as well as "increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact".  Chu stated "There’s no one solution to the energy crisis, but hydropower is clearly part of the solution and represents a major opportunity to create more clean energy jobs.  Investing in our existing hydropower infrastructure will strengthen our economy, reduce pollution and help us toward energy independence.”

Eligible non-Federal Projects will be selected in two areas:

Deployment of Hydropower Upgrades at Projects >50 MW: These include projects at large, non-Federal facilities (greater than 50 MW capacity) with existing or advanced technologies that will enable improved environmental performance and significant new generation.

Deployment of Hydropower Upgrades at Projects < 50 MW: These include projects at small-scale non-Federal facilities (less than 50 MWs) with existing or advanced technologies that will enable improved environmental performance and significant new generation.