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The All Energy Forum at last week's ANS Meeting in Washington D.C. was an eye-opener for many reasons, not the least being my underestimation of the amount of new hydroelectric power that could be installed in America without building a single new dam.
Almost 90% of America's low-carbon energy sources come from hydropower (21%) and nuclear power (67%), which together avoid almost a billion tons of CO2 emissions each year. If we are to achieve any of the low-carbon goals we have set out for 2030 and beyond, hydropower must increase significantly and nuclear has to maintain it's share of power, and even increase slightly by 2030.
David Zayas, Senior Manager at the National Hydropower Association (NHA), says that the goal is to double hydropower over the next few decades, adding 60 GW by 2030, producing an additional 300 billion kWhs of electricity each year.
The premise is that most dams in America don't produce power, and that adding that capability would account for the increase.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday November 26 2015, @12:51AM
The problem with lots of microhydro is that the engineering is haphazard at best. Sure they manage to put in a pipe, small turbine, and a generator.
They even cobble together a little dam to even out the flow.
Until it washes out, takes out the hillside, and leaves a gully. Water is heavy, and if you don't engineer your pond right you put a lot of people and property at risk.
The original concept of microhydro was no dam at all, simply a diversion of a PORTION of a stream for a few yards. But that didn't last, and just about every private installation I saw in Alaska ended up sneaking in a pond, and hopping nobody noticed.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.