(Credit: Pixabay)The US Army Corps of Engineers joined the US Department of Energy and US Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation in signing an interagency memorandum of understanding this week during a ceremony on National Hydropower Day. The agencies agree to collaborate on common issues and leverage resources to further the nation's hydropower generation.
The agencies, in partnership with the Power Marketing Agencies, agree to create an action plan designed to adapt hydropower to the changing energy landscape. The action plan will focus on developing projects and activities using data driven, risk-based decision-making and consider projects in the areas of asset management, improving the value of hydropower, workforce training, water supply reliability, and environmental outcomes.
The Army said this agreement will allow the US Army Corps of Engineers through its Civil Works mission to continue its partnership with federal and industry partners as we work together to enhance and manage the nation's hydropower program.
The US Army Corps of Engineers Hydropower Program is the largest generator of hydropower in the nation, with 75 power-producing dams housing 356 individual generating units. USACE's hydropower assets generate more than 70 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean renewable energy, or enough clean energy to power 10 cities the size of Seattle.
Earlier this month, US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette announced the launch of the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). According to the DOE, ARIES is a cutting-edge research platform that will allow NREL researchers and the scientific community to address the fundamental challenges of integrated energy systems at scale.
