Strategies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) on behalf of the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). Named 'Strategies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility,' this grant program focuses on improving the adaptability of hydropower systems.

The FOA aims to advance three interlinked strategies; the demonstration of hydropower hybrids, the development of innovative advanced hydropower equipment, and the creation of new operational strategies to enhance hydropower. These strategies are targeted towards increasing the flexibility of hydropower, which is crucial for improving its overall reliability, resilience, and integration into the rapidly evolving U.S. electricity system.

The initiative falls under WPTO’s HydroWIRES program which is a concerted effort to understand and enhance how hydropower, including pumped storage hydropower (PSH), contributes to the electricity system's reliability and resilience. The program involves the following three Topic Areas for development:

1. Hydropower Hybrids Demonstration: Promoting the use of hybrid systems that use hydropower.

2. Technologies to Increase Flexibility: Creating and expanding innovative hydropower equipment that boosts system flexibility.

3. Operational Flexibility: Formulating new operational strategies for hydropower systems that increase their adaptability.

These three areas are geared towards improving hydropower flexibility at different levels including upgrading components within the plant, enhancing hybridized capabilities at the plant interconnection, and bettering operations across the fleet.

For those interested in seeing the full FOA document, it can be found on the EERE Exchange Website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.