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.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are assessing the feasibility of retrofitting some of the country's non-powered dams (NPDs) to potentially generate enough energy to add 12 gigawatts of electricity to the U.S. power grid.

ORNL researchers are using computational and GIS techniques to investigate reservoir sedimentation dynamics for more efficient management practices in the future.

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.

Adoption of intermittent energy sources has left U.S. 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 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have initiated a one-of-a-kind project to create the first central repository for geo-referenced and geo-attributed data on fish passage facilities at hydropower installations across the United States.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, or EBCI, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are exploring smaller scale, less intrusive hydropower options, including dam-less run-of-river systems.

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

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.