WPTO wrapped up a successful week at HydroVision International—the largest gathering of hydro professionals worldwide—in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Water Power Technologies Office
July 6, 2018
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Energy Department staff and Hydropower Foundation fellows networked at HydroVision International. Supported in part by the Energy Department, the fellowships allow outstanding early-career researchers to facilitate hydropower research.
WPTO wrapped up a successful week at HydroVision International 2018—the largest gathering of hydro professionals worldwide—in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thousands of attendees participated in conference sessions, working meetings, and technical tours and networked to discuss the future sustainability of the hydropower and marine energy industries. Below are some highlights from the event:
- Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, Tim Unruh, kicked off the week by speaking at the Grid-Scale Storage Summit. The Summit brought together industry leaders in renewable energy and energy storage markets throughout the world to explore the synergies between pumped storage hydropower and other renewables like wind and solar.
Most grid operators and utility experts agree that pumped storage hydropower (PSH)—which provides 95% of our nation’s utility-scale storage-- plays a key role in supporting a reliable and resilient grid. Because of its versatility, however, it is difficult to assess the full value of all PSH services and contributions to the grid. To address this challenge, the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is developing a to evaluate and expand hydropower and pumped-storage’s contribution to grid resiliency and reliability. Read more about recent work in this area including WPTO’s , and .
- WPTO hosted many opportunities for attendees on the exhibit floor to learn more about the Energy Department's work, including the Hydropower Water Infrastructure-Information for Sustainable Energy (HydroWISE) website, the Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit, and the Standard Modular Hydropower (SMH) initiative which conducts early-stage research to define design parameters for a new class of hydropower technology that reduces cost, with a smaller physical and environmental footprint. WPTO also released and discussed its Notice of Intent for Innovative Design Concepts for Standard Modular Hydropower funding. Read more.
- WPTO’s new interactive online projects map was also on display at the Energy Department booth. Our partners in business, academia, non-governmental organizations, and the national laboratories use funding to develop technologies that can help the United States harness the full potential of hydropower and marine energy, leading to increased energy security, economic vitality, and grid reliability. The projects map shows DOE water power research investments across the country. Learn more about the projects map and view an instructional user video on the projects map webpage.
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