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Released July 11, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said recently it extended a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Norway's Royal Ministry of Energy that supports joint research and development in hydropower technologies. Industrial Info is tracking nearly US$2 billion worth of hydropower projects under construction in the U.S.--with about half of this attributed to upgrading and modernizing existing facilities in Washington state. More than US$1.5 billion worth of active and planned hydro projects are in Norway, Europe's largest producer of hydropower.
Hydropower projects often take years to complete.
The parties signed the five-year MOU in 2020; the DOE did not disclose the length of the recent extension.
The new development also expands the MOU to include collaboration on marine energy generation. Like hydropower, marine energy encompasses natural energy from moving water, but it also incorporates sources such as waves, tides, and river and ocean currents, according to the DOE.
"Our collaboration with Norway--another country that is rich in water power resources--will help us expand our generation capacity, upgrade existing facilities and cultivate the technical expertise we need to make the most of these opportunities," said DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lou Hrkman.
Much of the U.S. hydropower project activity being tracked by Industrial Info is in Washington state; it had more generation than any other state in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)--accounting for 25% of the nation's total utility-scale hydropower generation.
Projects include the replacement of the motor control center for units 1-8 at the Rock Island hydropower station on the Columbia River. Under the long-term project, which kicked off in early 2023, Chelan Public Utility District (Wenatchee, Washington) is replacing eight 52-megawatt (MW) turbines to improve reliability and operational efficiency. The project is expected to be completed in 2030. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Another project underway in the state is at the second-largest hydropower producing dam in the U.S.: Chief Joseph, with 2.4 gigawatts of capacity, according to the EIA. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in the process of rewinding 16 unit generators and installing new auxiliary equipment such as current transformers and unit heaters. Subscribers can click here to read more information on the project, which is expected to wrap up in mid-2027.
According to the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency that markets the power produced at the dam, the units were last rewound about 35 years ago and have reached their end of life. The project kicked off in 2022.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, which is home to the second-most hydropower capacity in the U.S., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is upgrading the McNary Dam near Umatilla, to improve responsiveness, synchronization and load stability. Construction at the 990-MW facility has been underway since the beginning of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
In May, the EIA forecasted that U.S. hydropower generation in 2025 will increase 7.5% from last year's record lows. For more information, see May 20, 2025, article - EIA: U.S. Hydropower Generation to Increase This Year.
Regarding Norway, hydropower accounted for 89% of the country's total electricity generation in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Industrial Info is tracking US$1.5 billion worth of hydro projects in Norway, US$1 billion of which is attributed to grassroot projects; about one-fourth of the total spend is for projects under construction.
Roughly US$150 million worth of investment is attributed to the country's leading hydro generator: state-owned Statkraft (Oslo).
Underway are construction of the grassroot Svean 2 Hydro Power Plant in Trondelag County, which is designed to provide 36 MW of generation capacity and is expected to wrap up in late 2027; in addition, rebuilding the water tunnel at the 640-MW Saurdal Hydro Power Station in Suldal, which connects the power plant with the Blasjo reservoir, is expected to wrap up in mid-2028.
Planned projects include the modernization and upgrade of units 1 and 2 at the Mauranger Hydro Power Station in Bergen, which have a combined capacity of 250 MW. The projects are designed to upgrade this capacity to a combined 880 MW.
Subscribers can click here for the four project reports.
Subscribers can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
Hydropower projects often take years to complete.
The parties signed the five-year MOU in 2020; the DOE did not disclose the length of the recent extension.
The new development also expands the MOU to include collaboration on marine energy generation. Like hydropower, marine energy encompasses natural energy from moving water, but it also incorporates sources such as waves, tides, and river and ocean currents, according to the DOE.
"Our collaboration with Norway--another country that is rich in water power resources--will help us expand our generation capacity, upgrade existing facilities and cultivate the technical expertise we need to make the most of these opportunities," said DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lou Hrkman.
Much of the U.S. hydropower project activity being tracked by Industrial Info is in Washington state; it had more generation than any other state in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)--accounting for 25% of the nation's total utility-scale hydropower generation.
Projects include the replacement of the motor control center for units 1-8 at the Rock Island hydropower station on the Columbia River. Under the long-term project, which kicked off in early 2023, Chelan Public Utility District (Wenatchee, Washington) is replacing eight 52-megawatt (MW) turbines to improve reliability and operational efficiency. The project is expected to be completed in 2030. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
Another project underway in the state is at the second-largest hydropower producing dam in the U.S.: Chief Joseph, with 2.4 gigawatts of capacity, according to the EIA. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in the process of rewinding 16 unit generators and installing new auxiliary equipment such as current transformers and unit heaters. Subscribers can click here to read more information on the project, which is expected to wrap up in mid-2027.
According to the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency that markets the power produced at the dam, the units were last rewound about 35 years ago and have reached their end of life. The project kicked off in 2022.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, which is home to the second-most hydropower capacity in the U.S., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is upgrading the McNary Dam near Umatilla, to improve responsiveness, synchronization and load stability. Construction at the 990-MW facility has been underway since the beginning of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
In May, the EIA forecasted that U.S. hydropower generation in 2025 will increase 7.5% from last year's record lows. For more information, see May 20, 2025, article - EIA: U.S. Hydropower Generation to Increase This Year.
Regarding Norway, hydropower accounted for 89% of the country's total electricity generation in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Industrial Info is tracking US$1.5 billion worth of hydro projects in Norway, US$1 billion of which is attributed to grassroot projects; about one-fourth of the total spend is for projects under construction.
Roughly US$150 million worth of investment is attributed to the country's leading hydro generator: state-owned Statkraft (Oslo).
Underway are construction of the grassroot Svean 2 Hydro Power Plant in Trondelag County, which is designed to provide 36 MW of generation capacity and is expected to wrap up in late 2027; in addition, rebuilding the water tunnel at the 640-MW Saurdal Hydro Power Station in Suldal, which connects the power plant with the Blasjo reservoir, is expected to wrap up in mid-2028.
Planned projects include the modernization and upgrade of units 1 and 2 at the Mauranger Hydro Power Station in Bergen, which have a combined capacity of 250 MW. The projects are designed to upgrade this capacity to a combined 880 MW.
Subscribers can click here for the four project reports.
Subscribers can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
