The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) announced earlier this week that it will soon resume negotiations to issue nearly $430 million in payments to American hydropower facilities. This funding will support 293 projects at 212 facilities selected by the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives program.
“American hydropower is a key component of this Administration’s vision for an affordable, reliable energy system,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) Audrey Robertson. “These actions will modernize our hydropower fleet, bolster our domestic workforce, and bring us closer to realizing that vision.”
The Hydroelectric Incentive program, now managed by H2O, funds projects that improve grid resiliency, dam safety, and ensure facilities meet current state and federal regulatory requirements. Combined with private investments from each facility, this funding will catalyze a $2.8 billion investment in America’s hydropower fleet.
This funding will be used to support efforts to renew aging infrastructure and maintain the reliable, affordable power Americans depend on every day. Although hydropower plants have low operating costs, many of these plants were constructed decades ago and need improvements to ensure they continue to generate power for generations to come.
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