Projects

Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) accounts for more than 90% of grid-scale energy storage in the United States. As the nation’s need for reliable and secure energy storage continues to grow, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is investigating the potential of repurposing abandoned coal mines for PSH. By leveraging existing mine infrastructure, this approach could provide a cost-effective and scalable solution to strengthen grid stability and enhance the effectiveness of domestic power production.

Adoption of intermittent energy sources has left US power grid operators with a challenge. These sources currently provide little to no grid inertia, which helps system operators properly balance power generation and demand. Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have come up with a solution: using signals from pumped storage hydropower projects to monitor grid inertia.

Researchers at ORNL assessed hydropower development potential at non-powered dams in Puerto Rico as part of the island's goal to fortify its energy system against extreme weather events and other natural disasters.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed, synthesized and tested nontoxic but high-functioning lubricant additives for use in electrical turbines installed in aquatic environments, which will aid the adoption of marine energy. Advancing the marine energy sector and the development of reliable, cost-competitive technologies can offer Americans a new source of independent, resilient energy.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory publishes the Hydropower Market Report on behalf of the US Department of Energy for the benefit of industry, policymakers, and the public.

Although hydroelectric generation is a major source of reliable, domestic energy, accounting for roughly 6% of US electricity consumption, development of new hydropower facilities has all but come to a standstill. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are reimagining small hydropower development in the United States to make plants not only viable but also advantageous through development of standard modular hydropower technology that is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This project will help industry navigate a new pathway for hydropower development, removing barriers to entry for new types of energy infrastructure that will provide Americans with reliable, affordable, and secure electricity.

Recent small hydropower development in the United States has been concentrated on the powering of unpowered water resource infrastructure such as non-powered dams and irrigation canals.

Most privately owned hydropower facilities must secure or renew a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This process can take more than 7 years to complete, and the environmental impact study negotiation phase is one of the lengthiest parts of the process. ORNL is analyzing the metrics used to assess the environmental effects of hydropower development, along with a river function framework and a decision support tool that can help expedite hydropower licensing and permitting.

To overcome the current gaps in hydropower fleet management data, researchers at ORNL are developing data-driven best practices that can be shared with hydropower facilities to optimize value and reliability of these energy facilities.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing more efficient systems to track and model the cost and performance of US hydropower plants. Information from this effort is used by a variety of key stakeholders, including researchers, the Department of Energy, and policymakers.

Understanding the country’s existing hydropower fleet and potential hydropower resources is critical to maintaining hydropower generation and boosting the production of affordable, reliable, domestic energy. HydroSource is a comprehensive and unique National Water-Energy digital platform that stewards and shares data in support of US hydropower stakeholders.