Project Details
Overview/Objective
To effectively track and assess the effects of R&D activities on the economic competitiveness of hydropower technologies—and to prioritize those activities—the US Department of Energy (DOE) and other hydropower stakeholders need data regarding the costs and performance of US hydropower plants.
The Hydropower Cost Modeling project provides this data, along with modeling and analysis that promote understanding and practical applications of the data. Although many private-sector organizations are capable of modeling the cost of hydropower, none has the incentive or capability to perform analyses and derive insight at the national scale necessary to support decision-making by DOE and other policymakers. Executing this work through DOE and the national laboratories ensures that results are scientific, credible, and unbiased.
The Hydropower Cost Modeling project has three main goals:
1) Gather information and analysis to identify and justify high-impact R&D efforts
2) Provide the best-available information on national-scale hydropower costs and performance
3) Provide a mechanism by which DOE can track and communicate the impact of R&D investments
Secondary objectives include providing unbiased cost data and analyses to support policymakers, improving modeling inputs for the broader research community, and helping small developers better screen and characterize hydropower development opportunities.
Results
Results from this project are used to update and expand publicly available data sets and support accurate measurements of national hydropower costs. Multiple small hydropower consultants are directly engaged to support cost modeling activities, and the broader hydropower community is continually consulted to evaluate, improve, and validate cost baselines and targets. The focus of current work includes non-powered dams (dams that do not generate power), relicensing data, and cost analyses for new stream development (NSD) projects.
Impact/Intended Impact
The ultimate goal of this data collection and modeling is to help reduce the costs of hydropower development and operation through effective R&D. Information from this effort is used by a variety of key stakeholders, including researchers, DOE, and policymakers. The broader hydropower community benefits from improved high-level cost estimating tools and from improved representation of hydropower in policymaking activities.
