SPOKANE, Wash. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will award Avista Utilities more than $1 million for evaluation of flexibility of a series of hydropower facilities along the Columbia River.
The funding for Avista is among nine research and development projects receiving nearly $15 million in total supporting the increase of hydropower's ability to respond to changing demand on the electric grid.
The DOE says the ability to operate flexibly allows hydropower facilities to help balance electricity grids with an increasing amount of variable renewable resources such as wind energy and solar power, ensuring communities have power when they need it.
Avista will receive $1,492,092 for its study that will identify opportunities to coordinate operations among the Columbia River facilities and expected economic and other benefits.
DOE says the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Washington State University are partners on this project along with advisors from the hydropower facility owners and operators.
"Hydropower is our oldest form of renewable energy and plays a crucial role in providing stable, reliable electricity to homes and businesses across the country," said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "This investment will enhance hydropower's capabilities to reliably integrate more renewable energy technologies into the power system."
Avista was chosen as part of the Water Power Technologies Office's Strategies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility funding opportunity.
DOE says hydropower currently accounts for nearly 27% of U.S. utility-scale renewable electricity generation and approximately 6% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. Hydropower facilities contribute significantly to the flexibility and stability of power grids by providing electricity immediately or storing potential energy for periods of greater demand.
To view the full list of awards and projects, visit the DOE website.
