IN THIS EDITION…

NHA’s Scouting Report

Latest on how NHA is working on your behalf

Committee Corner

The Latest about Committee and Council activities

Marine Energy

Small Hydro

On Your Radar…

The latest deadlines, reminders, & alerts

Movers & Shakers

See who has been moving around lately

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for upcoming NHA Events

 

The Latest:

NHA’s Committees and Councils are in full swing with the new year, and the new leadership is all in place.
This year, Committee and Council Leadership includes individuals from every region of the U.S., representing asset owners, service and product suppliers, technology developers, project developers, power marketing administration, and non-profit organizations. In their day jobs, these leaders are working as engineers, project managers, CEOs, and everything in between.
Overall, there are 40 member organizations represented in the Committees and Councils’ leadership. Check out our new leadership today, and learn more about them during your committee and council meetings.
Click here for a description of all Committees and Councils, including leadership for each.

NHA’s Scouting Report

Here’s how NHA is working on your behalf

Raising Hydropower’s Visibility with Governors’ Energy Advisors

 

Tomorrow, February 9, NHA has a unique opportunity to get the attention of Governors’ offices throughout the U.S.

 

NHA CEO Malcolm Woolf is a featured speaker at the opening plenary at the NASEO National Association of State Energy Officials’ State Energy Outlook Conference.

 

Malcolm’s key message? Governors and state energy officials need to take steps to preserve hydropower and pumped storage.

 

Malcolm will highlight the existing fleet of hydropower and pumped storage facilities up for relicensing by 2035 and its potential impact on grid reliability.

 

Malcolm, a former state official and NASEO chair, will highlight how hydropower and pumped storage can help address the grid reliability and resilience challenges posed by the transition to a clean energy grid powered increasingly by variable renewable generation.

 

 

Getting the Attention of Regulatory Utility Commissioners 

 

Hydro is AT THE TABLE, not just on the menu!

 

A session, “Can Regulated Water Infrastructure Help Facilitate Carbon-Free Hydro-Electric Generation?”, is on the agenda (Tuesday, February 14, at 11 a.m.) at the Winter Policy Summit of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

 

The Honorable Ralph V. Yanora, Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, is moderating the session. NHA member organizations Brookfield Renewable U.S., New England Hydropower, and Rye Development are represented on the panel.

 

Purpose of the session: Address why underutilization of hydro has occurred and how NARUC and state regulators may work to realize the generation, grid management, and resiliency potential of retrofitting hydropower to existing water infrastructure built for purposes other than electric generation (drinking water, irrigation, flood control, recreation).

 

Huge thanks to Shaun Chapman, senior director of state policy for Brookfield, for influencing NARUC to hold this session.

 

 

Request to Supreme Court – Water Quality Certification Case Is Worthy of Review

 

NHA continues to work on behalf of its member organizations to get certainty on the time states are given to review and decide upon applications for water quality certifications under Section 401 of the Water Quality Act.

 

Most Recent Action: On February 6, 2023, the hydropower industry filed an “amicus brief” with the Supreme Court. The brief provides support for the official petition to the Supreme Court from NHA member organizations Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District to review a D.C. Circuit’s ruling involving state action on a water quality certification.

 

For background on the legal details, read this POWERHOUSE article.

 

Next step: There will be a briefing on the certification petition; after that, likely sometime this spring, the Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to take the case. NHA staff will keep members informed on the progress.

 

 

Guidance Coming Soon for How to Apply for Financial Grants for Grid Resilience, Dam Safety Upgrades, and Environmental Enhancements at Existing Hydro Facilities

  • NHA is expecting draft guidance soon from the U.S. Department of Energy about how to apply for financial grants for  grid resilience, dam safety upgrades, and environmental enhancements at existing hydropower facilities. 
    • How much can a facility receive? Grants up to 30% of capital expenditures; capped at $5 million a year.
    • $553 million worth of grants is available until it is expended.
    • We will keep you updated – as soon as we hear, we will let you know.

For your background: Comments NHA submitted to DOE on September 6, 2022, on behalf of membership about how the grants are distributed can be found HERE. 

 

 

Waterpower Trivia Break…

Time to test your waterpower knowledge! In each Playbook edition, we’ll present you with a hydropower or marine energy brainteaser.

We had two players get the right answer to the last edition’s question! Thank you for playing and congratulations to Albin Atzmuller, of Voith and Dan Parker of Alden!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

This Sunday’s Super Bowl has divided the NHA office! The Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles. Marla Barnes and Brittney May will be rooting for the Chiefs, and Catherine Ryan is rooting for her hometown Eagles. Let us know who you will be rooting for this Sunday! 

 

Which of the competing states has more hydropower? 

Hint: You can use NHA Hydro Map to find this answer 

 

The first three respondents with the correct answer will be announced in the next NHA Member’s Playbook. Email your answer to  info@hydro.org. 

Last Edition’s Answer: The Prairie du Sac Dam is the widest dam on the Wisconsin River

Upcoming Events

Committee/Council Corner

Find details on each NHA Committee and Council HERE. 

IMPORTANT: Any employee of an NHA member organization is welcome to participate in any/all of the calls and activities of any committee or council. To get notifications about a particular group listed below (i.e., to “join”), simply email: marla@hydro.org

 

 

Future Leaders of Waterpower (FLOW)

 

 

 

Hydropower Technical Community

 

New Year, New Name! Click HERE to see how you can benefit from this community

 

Trainings for How to do Comprehensive Assessments, Risk Analysis 

New regulations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) require training for conducting comprehensive assessments. To help meet these training requirements, FERC’s Division of Dam Safety and Inspections (D2SI) is conducting these training classes: 

  • March 7-9, 2023: Hydrologic Hazard Analysis for L2RA, in-person in Denver, Colorado 
  • April 25, 2023: Overview of Revisions to Part 12 Program, virtual  
  • July 26 –27, 2023: PFMA/L2RA, in-person in Minneapolis, Minnesota 
  • September 6-8, 2023: Hydrologic Hazard Analysis for L2RA, in-person in Washington, DC 

Friday, February 24th, 2023 – Registration deadline 

To register, send the follow information to RIDM@ferc.gov.  

  • Name:
  • Organization:
  • Role/Title:
  • Discipline:
  • Years of experience:
  • Email:
  • FERC licensee (Y/N):

 

Stay Tuned! Monthly Lunch and Learn Webinar Series 

  • NHA is “breaking ground” on an initiative to offer employees of NHA member organizations a monthly learning opportunity.  
  • Topics to include: Dam Safety, Operations and Maintenance, Public Safety, Operational Excellence, Workforce Challenges, and more 
  • Webinars will be recorded and posted in the NHA Member Portal, thus creating an on-demand library for operational and technical topics 
  • Contact Anthony Laurita at Anthony@hydro.org with questions. 

 

 

Legislative Affairs Committee

 

  • Call for Working Group participants to work with NHA staff to coordinate legislative outreach and engagement with Capitol Hill: 
    • Tax Incentives 
    • License Reform 
    • New York State Advocacy  
    • Legislative Affairs is convening three working groups to further engage with Congress and advocate for hydropower. 
    • Want to join a group? Contact Brittney May at brittney@hydro.org (specify which group/groups) 

 

  • Monthly Meetings: First Tuesday of each month, 2 PM ET 
    • If you’re on the committee list, you should already have Microsoft Teams meetings on your calendar. For more information, contact Brittney May at brittney@hydro.org. 

 

 

Marine Energy Council

 

  • ICYMI – February 7 Monthly Member Meeting Presentation 
  • February 21 at 3:00 PM ET– NHA MEC “Featured Presentation” — update from PNNL on PRIMRE (email Kelly Rogers (kelly@hydro.org) if the presentation is not on your calendar and you want to join) 
  • March 7 at  3:00 PM ET – Monthly MEC Member Meeting 

 

 

 

Markets Committee

 

  • Find overviews of issues impacting CAISO, MISO, and PJM, discussed at the February 6 committee meeting, log on to the NHA Member Portal to find the slides on the Markets Committee Resource page
  • Have items of interest to your company in FERC–jurisdictional markets you want to discuss? Reach out to Mike Purdie at michael@hydro.org. 

 

 

Public Affairs Committee

 

SAVE THE DATES! 

  • February 9, 1 PM ET:  Public Affairs Committee Call 
  • August 24: National Hydropower Day 

 

Pumped Storage Council

 

 

Regulatory Affairs Committee 

 

  • February 21, 4 PM ET: Monthly Virtual Committee Meeting
    • If you’re on the committee list, you should already have a Microsoft Teams meeting on your calendar. For more information, contact Mike Purdie at michael@hydro.org. 
  • Click HERE to log into the NHA Member Portal and access the amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court

 

 

Small Hydropower Council

  • STAY TUNED – You will be seeing a survey in your inbox by next week with questions relating to your business within the small hydro sector. Please respond to this survey to help shape NHA’s priorities within the sector.  

Waterpower Innovation Council

 

  • View current and ongoing innovative research within the WaterPower Research Portal   

 

Advocacy and Outreach

Examples of what members are doing to connect with the next generation: 

 

Mark the Date

  • May 9 – Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 

 

NHA New Member Spotlight

NHA is pleased to announce Douglas County PUD and Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. have joined NHA – read more about each company below and welcome them to the NHA family: 

 

Douglas PUD has a mission to provide the best possible utility services at the lowest possible cost consistent with sound business principles. As a not-for-profit public utility in Washington State with 200 employees, an 840MW Hydroelectric Project on the Columbia River, and a countywide fiber optic network, we serve our 17,000 customer-owners with some of the lowest rates and fastest internet service available. Our three elected commissioners have the best interest of our customers in mind while making decisions.

 

Learn more here

 

 

 

Founded in 1979, Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. is a leader in the marine services industry with decades of experience managing complex, critical and technical projects in and around the water. We are headquartered in Seattle, WA with additional main offices in Alaska and California. We bring the expertise and resources necessary to get the job done quickly, reliably, and safely – even in the most challenging environments. We provide a wide variety of underwater maintenance, repair, installation, and inspection services. In addition to complete project management, Global offers engineering support for projects that require technical underwater procedures and tooling. Our understanding and capabilities enable us to adapt quickly and successfully complete the most ambitious assignments while always maintaining the highest level of safety.

 

Learn more here

 

 

 

NHA’s membership is made up of more than 300 companies and organizations. Bookmark the online member directory for easy reference.

NHA Member Organizations in the News

Check out news about NHA member companies HERE.

Movers and Shakers 

 

 

AMP Names Branndon Kelley Chief Strategy Officer, Promotes Jared Price to Chief Information Officer

 

NHA Congratulates  

 

Do you know of NHA member organizations or employees working for those organizations who deserve a public pat on the back? Please share with marla@hydro.org.

Membership Tip of the Week

NHA’s Tool of the Week:  The Resource Library

 

The Resource Library is NHA’s repository for annual reports, useful graphics and letters to Congress. Access it under the Resources tab on the NHA homepage.

 

Connect & Learn

How NHA is helping its members connect, learn, network, and do business with each other and the entire waterpower industry

 

NHA Member-Only Briefing: How NHA Is Shaping Public Perception about Hydro

  • February 14, 1 PM ET
  • Want to join? Email Catherine at catherine@hydro.org
  • Briefing Agenda:
    • 2022 Campaign Results and Insights
      • The team from the digital ad firm BPI will explain methods used for the 2022 message testing and ad deployment.
    •  Plans for the 2023 ad campaign

 

Just Released – Schedule at a Glance for Waterpower Week, May 8-10, NHA’s national policy conference in Washington, D.C.

 

Working in the Midwest? If so, plan to be in Middleton, Wisconsin, April 25-26 

  • NHA’s 2023 Midwest Regional Meeting is co-hosted with the Midwest Hydro Users Group (MHUG)
  • Alliant Energy is the host utility 
  • 19 NHA member organizations who are sponsoring the event
  • Network with industry professionals who work in the Midwest 
  • Participate in discussions on workforce challenges, dam safety, the Endangered Species Act, and more!  
  • Tour Prairie du Sac Dam  
  • Meet students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 
  • Register here    

 

Getting On Your Radar…

 

Learn How to Meet FERC’s NEW Comprehensive Assessment Training Requirements 

New regulations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) require training for conducting comprehensive assessments. To help meet these training requirements, FERC’s Division of Dam Safety and Inspections (D2SI) is conducting these training classes: 

 

  • March 7-9, 2023: Hydrologic Hazard Analysis for L2RA, in-person in Denver, Colorado 
  • April 25, 2023: Overview of Revisions to Part 12 Program, virtual  
  • July 26 –27, 2023: PFMA/L2RA, in-person in Minneapolis, Minnesota 
  • September 6-8, 2023: Hydrologic Hazard Analysis for L2RA, in-person in Washington, DC 

 

Friday, February 24th, 2023 – Registration deadline 

 

To register, send the following information to  RIDM@ferc.gov.  

  • Name:
  • Organization:
  • Role/Title:
  • Discipline:
  • Years of experience:
  • Email:
  • FERC licensee (Y/N):  

 

Deep Dive Policy Team

February 16, 2 PM ET – Kick-Off Meeting for 2023

Click HERE to learn about this team and how to join.

 

Join FERC for a EJ Roundtable

Wednesday, March 29, 2023: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) convenes a roundtable on Environmental Justice in Infrastructure Permitting. More details HERE about the purpose of the roundtable and how to register. NHA will prepare and provide membership with key takeaways following the roundtable.

 

Dues are Due!  

Thank you to all member organizations who have already processed their 2023 membership renewals.   

As a reminder, renewals are due no later than February 15th.  Prompt payment is appreciated. 

If you need any assistance, please contact Marla Barnes at marla@hydro.org or Kimberly Costner at kimberly@hydro.org.   

  

Know a College Student Who Needs Money?  

Please let him or her know NHA is here to help!   

NHA offers a $2,500 scholarship for a college sophomore or junior pursuing a program of study related to the hydropower industry.   

Applications are due February 15, 2023.   

All we ask of you is to “spread the word” to students about the upcoming opportunity to apply.   

Details HERE.   

 

Operational Excellence Program (OpEx)

  • Featured Event Report: Powerhouse Weir Injury and Near Miss Event
  • An OpEx Event Report is an event or near miss experienced by a hydropower operator related to its operations, maintenance, environmental performance, or safety (dam, employee, or public). Have an experience to share? Submit an Event Report at hydroexcellence.org.

 

The NHA member-only OpEx program is the hydropower industry’s only voluntary event reporting system that receives, distributes, archives, and catalogs operating experiences and resulting best practices and lessons learned. 

Industry Job Opportunities

 

NHA Is Hiring! 

 

NHA seeks a Director of Legislative Affairs 

 

Use the Job Board 

 

NHA has a “job board” – member organizations can post job openings and available internships on this board, which averages 191 views per job posting.  

  

Member organizations who’ve recently used the tool: American Municipal Power, Andritz, Canyon Hydro, Eagle Creek, Mavel Americas Inc., Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), SMUD Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Tacoma Power 

 

Check out the Career Center here NHA Career Center! 

 

Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities

Sign Up to Receive Funding Notices from the U.S. Department of Energy – Register for the new list HERE

 

 

Looking for funding to maintain, upgrade, and repair a dam?  

If yes, you’ll want to check out the US Army Corps of Engineers Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP).  

 

Working in a Rural or Remote Area? 

  • March 2023: U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) will open $15 million in funding for the Energizing Rural Communities Prize. 
    • See slides HERE from the rules workshop held by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

 

Are you a Small Business Looking for Loan Financing?

Applications being accepted on a rolling basis for the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvements State-Level Guaranteed Loans & Grants 

 

Funding for a Tidal RD&D site, Community‐led Tidal Energy Planning and Project Execution 

The Department of Energy released a revised Notice of Intent (NOI) for the $45 million funding opportunity titled, “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Section 41006(a)(2): U.S. Tidal Energy Advancement.” See the revised notice HERE. No application timeline has been released yet.