Squeezing Hydropower

[jpak]

http://www.renewableaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48876

It may be small, but it will have a big impact. General Electric is investing about $103 million (U.S.) in a 196-megawatt hydroelectric project to be constructed in Canada, about 120 miles away from Vancouver, British Columbia. The agreement, expected to close later in June, also involves about $370 million in debt financing and gives GE a 49-percent equity interest in the deal.

While the hydroelectric industry may be mature, activity there abounds. The sector's next phase, however, will focus on smaller hydro units that are less disruptive environmentally but still useful in supplying electricity to remote areas. Government researchers say that almost 60 percent of the nation's water energy resources are potentially available for development using technologies that are environmentally adept.

Indeed, more than 100 hydro facilities generating 2,400 megawatts have been proposed, with many being granted preliminary approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Most of those would generate power by re-directing the river's flow using distributed hydropower units that include underwater watermills. While such technology is dependent on stream flow and access to power lines, it does not require the construction of dams that block water and kill off aquatic life.

"The hydropower industry is primed for responsible growth at a time when policymakers are seeking sound solutions to the climate change problem," says Linda Church Ciocci, executive director of the National Hydropower Association. "In fact, a recently released report by the Electric Power Research Institute estimates that hydropower can add at least another 23,000 megawatts by the year 2025, with a total growth potential of nearly 90,000 megawatts."

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