A rather balanced view from Energy Biz.com email (in HTML):
"Hydropower is Making Waves
November 23, 2005
Water from the Mamquam River near Vancouver will turn turbines
to generate 25 megawatts of electricity. The new hydro-powered plant is a
run-of-the-river project, which does not require dams that upset ecosystems
and damage fisheries.
Ken Silverstein
EnergyBiz Insider
Editor-in-Chief
Most regions of the world with hydro resources recognize the
delicate balance between the environment and the need to generate fewer
emissions from power plants. But the review processes in this country have
become more inclusive, although they are about to be streamlined. Promising
models such as the one developed along the Mamquam River in combination with
clean air standards and global warming treaties are expected to spawn new
hydro projects while existing facilities will likely get re-licensed.
"This new power plant is a perfect example of balancing the
needs of the environment with responsible economic development," says
Canadian Hydro Developers CEO John Keating, whose company developed the
Upper Mamquam Hydroelectric Plant. "We know green electricity builds
sustainable communities. Environmentally, the (plant) generates virtually
zero emissions." Such "run-of-the-river" sites are dependent on stream flow,
access to power lines and proximity to markets.
In the United States, hydropower has grown from 56,000 MW in
1970 to more than 90,000 MW today, according to the U.S. Department of
Energy. Scientists at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental
Laboratory, meantime, say that the United States could more than double its
supply of hydropower by accessing smaller streams in addition to dams that
are traditionally used for such purposes. The next phase of hydropower,
however, will focus on smaller hydro units that are less disruptive
environmentally but still useful in supplying electricity to remote areas.
The Idaho Falls-based research lab says that about 170,000
megawatts of the clean and sustainable energy form remain untapped and are
not restricted from development by the federal government. Meanwhile, at
least 100 countries are developing small hydro plants, with the most
potential in the former Soviet Union, South Asia and South America.
The conventional way to produce hydroelectricity is through
dams. But the amount of power is contingent upon the speed of the water that
turns the turbines. Dams can increase the velocity by raising the water
level. But they leave big footprints and can cause local populations to
disperse.
The 2005 Energy Law gives the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) new authority when it comes to re-licensing hydroelectric
dams. Under new rules expected out, utilities will be able to challenge
requirements meant to safeguard the environment and fisheries that they say
add a decade to the licensing process and cost hundreds of millions. Critics
say such moves give utilities more rights than environmentalists and Native
American tribes. More than 200 dams in 36 states are set to apply for new
permits by 2020.
"We want to make changes to meet the needs of these rivers,"
says Dave Kvamme, spokesman for Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp, in an
interview with the Associated Press. "But we don't want to do it at any
cost." PacifiCorp wants to build five dams on Oregon's Klamath River.
Streamlined Rules
While dams are used to irrigate farms and supply water to
cities, they are also responsible for displacing people and costing
livelihoods as reservoirs occupy once-useful land. Spokane-based Avista
Corp. is at odds with interest groups over the operation of five
hydroelectric dams along the Spokane River in Washington State. The
three-year battle is now in the hands of FERC, which will have until 2007 to
hold additional hearings and review the applications before it would
re-license the project for 30-50 years.
Interestingly, a feature story in the New Scientist says that
contrary to popular belief, hydropower can cause serious damage to the
environment. It says that hydroelectric dams produce significant levels of
carbon dioxide and methane because up to 28 percent of all artificial
greenhouse gas emissions could be from rotting vegetation in dams. The story
cites Philip Fearnside of Brazil's National Institute for Research in the
Amazon, who estimates that the greenhouse effect from one Brazilian dam was
3.5 times what would have been produced if oil had been burned.
"Everyone thinks hydro is very clean but this is not the case,"
says Eric Duchemin, a consultant for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, in the New Scientist story.
While regulators in this country are expected to streamline
licensing rules, they do say that all voices will be heard. It used to be
that FERC allowed dam operators to apply for licensing before public comment
was taken. But stakeholders who took issue with those requests insisted that
their views be known from the start. Now, dam operators must meet with all
lobbies before they seek formal approval.
It's the tack that the Snohomish County Public Utility District
in Washington State is using to re-license its Henry M. Jackson
Hydroelectric project, which provides 75 percent of the county's drinking
water and 5 percent of its electricity. The current permit, which expires in
2011, would be extended another 50 years.
"All of our processes provide an opportunity for the public to
get involved early on," says David Turner, coordinator of the integrated
licensing process for FERC. "The advantages of this are making sure that we
know not just what the concerns are but that we have the information needed
to consider and address those issues."
Clean air standards along with global warming fears are giving
alternative energy sources new appeal, including hydropower. But any future
development must also take into account the concerns of environmental and
business organizations. An inclusive permitting process in combination with
innovative ways to harness hydroelectricity is working to ensure that.
"
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Behalf Of Frank Leslie
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 12:27 PM
To: Microhydro
Subject: [microhydro] NOAA helps remove old dams
"NOAA offers rivers funding
PORTSMOUTH - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
the
availability of up to $6 million in financial assistance for the Open
Rivers
Initiative.
The program will provide grants, anticipated to range from $50,000 to
$250,000,
for communities to remove obsolete and derelict stream barriers.
"Many small communities and private owners understand the benefits of
removing
these obstructions, but simply lack the funds to do so," said retired Navy
Vice
Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and
atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
"This initiative is intended to help provide assistance where funding is
an
issue. We envision this as an investment in our society, our economy and
our
ecological future."
There are an estimated 2½ million dams across the country, many less than
6 feet
tall, and some nearly 200 years old.
The initiative will only target structures that no longer serve a useful
purpose, where both the community and owner support dam removal, and where
removal will provide significant benefit to anadromous fish, such as
salmon,
striped bass and shad, that migrate upriver to breed.
Many derelict dams pose a safety hazard to downstream communities, create
economic hardship for towns forced to pay for upkeep and liability, and
disturb
delicate ecosystems by preventing the free flow of water and migration of
aquatic species.
Removing dams and other blockages opens habitat for migratory fish and can
help
boost local economies by increasing property values and recreational
opportunities.
More information can be found under "funding opportunities" at
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/.
Full details are available at www.grants.gov, and can be searched for
using
funding opportunity No. NMFS-HCPO-2006-2000405.
Proposals must be submitted by Jan. 13.
Print this Story Email this Article
Back to the Portsmouth Herald
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"
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/11212005/news/74233.htm
Another part of gov't will help pay for farm dams, I believe.
Frank
|=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=-=
| Frank R. Leslie, M.S. Space Tech | Adjunct Lecturer in Renewable
Energy
| Florida Tech, DMES, Rm. 104, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne FL 32901
| (321) 674-7377 | http://my.fit.edu/~fleslie
(Renewable
Energy)
| Florida Tech email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
http://my.fit.edu/wx_fit/roberts/RH.htm
| Adjunct Advisor to the Green Campus Group (Campus Sustainability)
| Home: 1017 Glenham Drive, NE, Palm Bay FL 32905-4855 | (321) 768-6629
| Home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | 28-01.3130N /
80-35.6136W
| www.geocities.com/windy4us (Wind Energy Experimenters) | KD4EYQ 050912
|=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=-=
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