Hydropower

Question 1

Scope of Hydropower

Answer 1

1. PNW has the most
2. Followed by California and New York
3. In the era of dam decommissioning

Question 2

Benefits of Hydropower

Answer 2

1. “OG” renewable power
2. Load-following: follows electricity demand more easily
3. Peaking Power: ability to turn on during peak
4. Regulation: ability to modulate the amount of electricity going into the grid by small amounts
5. Black start: can start generating electricity immediately

Question 3

Risks of Hydropower

Answer 3

1. Fills in land behind the dam (displaces people & destroys historic sites)
2. If dam fails, significant risks to pople downstream. 60% of dams likely need maintenence and may be close to failure.
3. Vulnerable to climate change (variation in rain patterns)
4. More difficult for spawning salmon and causes population collapse.

Question 4

Types of Hydropower

Answer 4

1. Conduit Hydropower - using existing waterways (canals, tunnels, aqueducts, pipelines)
2. Pumped Hydro - move water between two reserviors at different elevations

• Cheap electricity used to pump up water when demand is low, runs it out when demand is hight.
• Get about 70% of energy out when you run them. Only way this is efficient is economic (consumes more energy than it creates.

Question 5

Key Hydropower Provisions in Federal Power Act

Answer 5

4(e): FERC shall give “equal consideration” to conservation, protection of fish & wildlife, recreational opportunities

10(a): project adopted shall be “best adapted to comprehensive plan for improving or developing waterway, and for other beneficial uses

10(j): State and federal agencies can impose license requirements; if FERC wants to reject, must explain in writing.

Question 6

DOI v. FERC

Answer 6

FERC may only reject a recommendation from agency if the decision is supported by substantial evidence and is not arbitrary and capricious.

Question 7

Hydropower, NEPA, and ESA

Answer 7

The ESA has sharp teeth – TVA v. Hill
* Salmon Wars in the Northwest – eight dams along the Columbia & Snake River Basin – destroys salmon runs
* Mitigating
(1) Fish ladders work to some degree – but unfortunately not all make it due to not finding fish ladder & predation (sea lions hanging out at base of Columbia river dam)
(2) So much litigation over salmon & sea lions & judges are hesitant to order that the ESA is violated and order the dams destroyed.
(3) We are using hydropower revenues to run trucks full of little fish around dams.
- Haven’t removed dams along the Snake & Columbia
- Only one major river along the Pacific Coast that is not dammed.

Question 8

Federalism & hydropower - § 401 of Clean Water Act

Answer 8

Due to CWA § 401:
(1) Discharge includes water out of dams, so you have to get certificate from state.
(2) Therefore, states can put any conditions it wants onto the dam operation, and the operation has to include them. FERC cannot contest them, but maybe permittees can.

Question 9

Decommissioning Dams

Answer 9

1. Nothing in FPA says anything about taking down dams (expected to last forever).
2. FPa does say that license can trasfer from private to federal.
3. Therefore, the power to surrender includes the power to order you to dismantle the dams (promulgated in 1995)
   - Neither side wants to set precedent, but there has been cooperative decommissioning
   - Rare to see cooperative work like this