OPINION

Tennessee ties to hydropower run deep

Kevin Frank

This week, more than 3,000 people will gather in Nashville for HydroVision International, the world’s largest hydropower conference.

With its deep ties to hydropower, Tennessee is certainly a fitting location for the conference.

For more than 80 years, Tennessee has been a hotbed for hydropower development and advancement, with both the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers taking leading roles in developing the region’s vast water resources and creating jobs and boosting economic development for communities across the Volunteer State.

On the research and development side, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory continues to make important contributions to our understanding of how and where our water resources can best be used to produce power.

Today, hydropower plays a vital role in providing the electricity that powers homes and businesses across the U.S., and that’s especially true in Tennessee. Hydropower currently produces well over half of the country’s renewable energy, and approximately 6 percent of its total supply. In Tennessee, 12 percent of electric generation comes from hydroelectricity, making it one of the leading producers of hydropower east of the Rockies.

Hydropower has a bright future, too. The Nashville District of the Army Corps of Engineers recently announced a 20-year plan to upgrade its hydropower facilities in the region. The Corps is investing approximately $1 billion to increase output, make environmental and facilities enhancements, and ensure its hydropower resources last for another 50 years and longer.

Voith Hydro, which is based in Pennsylvania but has an office in Chattanooga, was recently awarded the contract to rehabilitate three units at one of these Army Corps facilities: the Center Hill Dam in Lancaster, Tenn.

In addition to increasing the energy output at the more than 60-year-old plant, Center Hill will feature auto-venting Aerating Runner technology designed to improve the downstream oxygen level at the dam — a common challenge at Southeastern dams.

TVA’s Norris Dam was actually the first site to employ auto-venting aerating runner technology over 20 years ago. The technology has continued to improve over the past two decades, and supplements other environmental advancements that ensure safe fish passage and significantly improve water quality at hydropower facilities.

Of course, the face of hydropower is changing. The early 20th century saw development of iconic structures like the Hoover and Grand Coulee Dams; engineering marvels that remain an important part of our nation’s energy portfolio. And new hydropower development is far from tapped out.

For instance, the largest current hydropower development in the U.S. is taking place on four existing locks and dams on the Ohio River. These run-of-river projects will ultimately produce 300 megawatts of clean and renewable energy for tens of thousands of households and businesses.

From coast to coast, developers and dam operators are taking a closer look at many existing hydropower facilities such as Center Hill, or non-powered water-based resources like the locks and dams on the Ohio River, to increase energy output.

Their interest is not without justification. Out of the over 80,000 dams in the country, only 3 percent produce electricity. By increasing production at existing facilities and retrofitting some of these non-powered dams, we can add 60,000 megawatts of clean electricity to the nation’s grid and create more than 1 million jobs in the process.

Even a gridlocked Congress agrees that hydropower makes sense. Last year, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to help streamline the federal regulatory process for small hydropower development. Many of these potential projects can be found on underused dams.

The developments in small hydro are particularly exciting. One of the technologies we are displaying in Nashville is the StreamDiver, which is designed to extract energy from small waterways and canals with minimal upkeep and impact. Though its output is less than 1 megawatt, innovations like the StreamDiver can help make a large dent in the country’s growing demand for energy.

As hydropower has shown in its long and storied history, its adaptability has helped the country meet its energy and economic development needs. As those gathering in the Music City this week will attest, these qualities ensure hydropower also has a bright future.

Kevin Frank is president and CEO of York, Pa.-based Voith Hydro, a full line supplier and manufacturer of hydropower equipment.