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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Non-powered dams (NPD), those that currently do not produce electricity, offer the potential to greatly increase the contribution that hydroelectric dams make to the U.S. power supply. Turning such dams into electricity producers could boost the share of hydropower in the nation's energy mix to 12% or more from the current 8%, according to the 2014 Hydropower Market Report (published April 2015), as prepared by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.
In North America, Industrial Info is tracking 540 hydroelectric power projects valued at $92.38 billion.
Most dams do not have a water flow rate to justify the construction of a powerhouse and hydro turbine generators, but some have such potential. A prime location for such investments is the Ohio River. Industrial Info is tracking 28 capital hydro generation projects, valued at $5.06 billion, along the Ohio River, which runs through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.
Three hydroelectric projects at non-powered dams are under construction on the Ohio River: American Municipal Power's (AMP) (Columbus, Ohio) 75-megawatt (MW) Smithland Lock & Dam; the 84-MW Cannelton Lock & Dam; and the 105-MW Captain Meldahl Lock & Dam. All three are located in Kentucky, with a combined investment value of nearly $1.4 billion.
These three projects are atypical because they are not built on a large reservoir with a dam, but instead are run-of-river hydro projects. Run-of-river projects do not require flooding of vast amounts of land, only vast amounts of flowing water, as can be found along the Ohio River.
Most potential non-powered dam hydroelectric projects could be located at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lock and dam facilities on the Ohio, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas rivers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. These facilities collectively exhibit a potential of up to 8.2 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower generation. Additionally, the Department of Defense, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities have the potential to add up to another 369 MW from non-powered dams.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently has taken applications from owners and operators for hydroelectric projects at non powered dams through a $3.6 million program.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
In North America, Industrial Info is tracking 540 hydroelectric power projects valued at $92.38 billion.
Most dams do not have a water flow rate to justify the construction of a powerhouse and hydro turbine generators, but some have such potential. A prime location for such investments is the Ohio River. Industrial Info is tracking 28 capital hydro generation projects, valued at $5.06 billion, along the Ohio River, which runs through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.
Three hydroelectric projects at non-powered dams are under construction on the Ohio River: American Municipal Power's (AMP) (Columbus, Ohio) 75-megawatt (MW) Smithland Lock & Dam; the 84-MW Cannelton Lock & Dam; and the 105-MW Captain Meldahl Lock & Dam. All three are located in Kentucky, with a combined investment value of nearly $1.4 billion.
These three projects are atypical because they are not built on a large reservoir with a dam, but instead are run-of-river hydro projects. Run-of-river projects do not require flooding of vast amounts of land, only vast amounts of flowing water, as can be found along the Ohio River.
Most potential non-powered dam hydroelectric projects could be located at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lock and dam facilities on the Ohio, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas rivers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. These facilities collectively exhibit a potential of up to 8.2 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower generation. Additionally, the Department of Defense, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities have the potential to add up to another 369 MW from non-powered dams.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently has taken applications from owners and operators for hydroelectric projects at non powered dams through a $3.6 million program.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
