The US Department of Energy announced on September 5 the recipients in 33 states of $430 million to support upgrades and safety improvements to aging US hydroelectric dams
The agency says the funds would be matched by more than $2.4 billion from private sector sources. DOE’s first round of funding, which will be provided to 293 hydroelectric dam improvement projects, will cover up to 30% of costs up to $5 million. The funds are being disbursed and managed through its Network Deployment Office and are authorized under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment Act.
Although hydropower accounts for nearly 27% of renewable electricity generation and 93% of all utility-scale storage in the US, many facilities need to be upgraded. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the dams a grade of D in its latest report card, published in 2021. The average age of dams receiving funding is 79, according to the DOE.
“As our first form of renewable energy generation, hydroelectric power has kept the United States running reliably for nearly 150 years,” DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. The funding will “expand and modernize the hydroelectric fleet, while protecting thousands of American jobs.”
Selected projects relate to at least one of three areas: improving grid resilience by replacing and upgrading turbine and generator control systems and other equipment; improving dam safety through projects such as emergency gate and spillway upgrades, concrete replacement to prevent water seepage through the dam, and erosion repairs; and allowing environmental improvements at hydroelectric facilities through fish scales and other measures.
The DOE says it plans to launch a second round of funding in 2025.
