A Big Wave Of Mini-hydro Projects

Interest revives in hydropower on a small scale, sparked by the new energy bill and high fuel costs.

1 minute read

December 19, 2005, 11:00 AM PST

"Propelled by high energy costs, federal incentives, and an eased licensing process, at least 104 projects in 29 states - with 2,400 megawatts of new capacity - have been granted "preliminary permits" by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which regulates hydropower development. Many other projects in the works have not yet been officially reported by FERC, observers say.

...The potential exists for much more, say federal researchers. Of 80,000 existing dams, only about 2,500 generate electricity. Upgrading those hydropower dams could boost power by 4,300 megawatts. Retrofitting the most promising of the remaining 77,000 dams could generate as much as 17,000 megawatts, according to a recent US Department of Energy Report."

FULL STORY: A big wave of mini-hydro projects

Monday, December 19, 2005 in The Christian Science Monitor

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