Projects

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.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are collaborating with members of the Internet of Water Coalition to outline a path for creating intelligent watershed systems that digitally connect people and systems and interact with hydropower systems at a watershed scale.

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.

Researchers at the US 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.

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 resources such as wind and solar power has left US power grid operators with a challenge. These resources currently provide little to no grid inertia, which keeps the system in balance between 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.

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.

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked to develop a cost/benefit resource tool that assesses the cost and design dynamics of small modular pumped storage hydropower; weighs the benefits against economies of scale inherent in utility-scale development; and measures the economic competitiveness of the technology against alternative distributed storage technologies, such as batteries.

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.

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 U.S. hydropower stakeholders.