NHA TODAY

Energy Department Awards $10.5 Million for Next-Generation Marine Energy Six Marine Energy Companies selected

H Y D R O P O W E R + M A R I N E E N E R G Y + P U M P E D S T O R A G E

Jan 14/Volume 22 Issue 1

NHAWelcomes Helios Altas&CardinalEngineering

N H A R E S P O N S E S T O F E R C - U S A C ED R A F T P R O P O S A L

PLUS

NHA WaterpowerWeek in Washington

NHA TODAYNA T I O N A L H YDRO POWER A S S O C I A T I O N

NHA Staff

Main number 202-682-1700

Linda Church Ciocci

Executive Director | ext 220

Jeffrey A. Leahey

Deputy Executive Director |ext 150

Diane C. Lear

Director of MembershipServices | ext 160

Dave Zayas

Senior Manager ofRegulatory Affairs andTechnical Services | ext 200

LeRoy Coleman

Senior Manager of StrategicCommunications | ext 210

Francesca Blanco

Manager of Meetings andEvents | ext 130

Kimberly Costner

Executive Assistant | ext 140

Luciana Ciocci

Staff Assistant | ext 190

NHA TODAY

Before the holiday break,NHA submitted commentson a Department of Energy,U.S. Army Corps of Engineers(Corps), and Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission(FERC) proposal intended toimprove coordinationbetween the FERC andCorps' licensing andpermitting processes fornon-federal hydropowerdevelopment on Corpsinfrastructure.

Therefore, NHA could notsupport the Draft Proposalbecause it did not adequatelyaddress the two most seriousissues facing non-federalhydropower development onCorps infrastructure: 1) thelength of the combinedregulatory processes; and 2)the financial risk thatdevelopers assume due to thefront-loaded expectations forexpensive design detailsbefore there is certaintyregarding the environmentalrequirements that can affectboth project design andproject economics.

NHA Responses to FERC-USACE Draft Proposal

Step one would require theagencies to complete allenvironmental reviews first byestablishing all the requiredenvironmental protectionmeasures in the Commissionlicense and the Corps Section404 permit, with a reasonableamount of engineering designof 10%.

D E S I G N

The Draft InteragencyAgreement on FERC-USACEConcurrent and CoordinatedProcesses provided twooptions that developerscould pursue in order toachieve increasedcoordination and concurrentreviews of hydropowerapplications.

the process, without anyadditional commitments orcertainty from FERC or theCorps that decision-makingwill be made in a more timelyfashion.

However, in order to achieveeither Option A or B,developers would berequired to provide moredetailed engineering designand information earlier in

NHA's comments did providerecommendations for a newtwo-step approach forconducting a coordinated andconcurrent review process.

Following agreement on allenvironmental requirements,step two would then focusexclusively on the technical,engineering, and dam safetyaspects of the project under theSection 408 application andFERC processes. Under steptwo, our comments alsoprovided specific examples forthe Corps to improve theSection 408 application process,such as consolidated reviewsand vertical teaming.

NHA believes this approachwould provide greater processcertainty to developers andmore appropriately spread theirfinancial risk throughout theentire process, and it wouldreduce the amount of time theCorps and FERC expendconducting technical reviews onprojects that do not move pastlicensing.

Article cont'd on the next page

NHA TODAY

This week, U.S.Representatives SuzanneBonamici, Chellie Pingree,Theodore Deutch and MarkTakai sent a letter to thepresident calling for $100million in funding for theDepartment of Energy’s WaterPower Program for Fiscal Year2017.

NHA Responses to FERC-USACE Draft Proposal Cont'd

D E S I G N

Finally, NHA would like to thank the following member companies for participating on the draftinggroup that played a critical role in developing our comments: Advanced Hydro Solutions,American Municipal Power (AMP), Kleinschmidt, McMillen Jacobs Associates, MWH Global, NelsonEnergy, TRC Solutions, and Van Ness Feldman.

For FY16, the program received$70 million in funding, whichrepresented the highest level offunding ever for the programand is an increase of 14 percentfrom last year’s funding.

U.S. House Members Call for IncreasedFY17 Water Power Program Funding

In the letter, they noted that,“Expanded efforts to captureour nation’s rich domesticwater power resourcesthrough hydropower, pumpedstorage and marine energytechnologies could drivebillions of dollars ofinvestment…”.

On the Lookout: MassachusettsHydropower Study

In an effort to bring more hydropower into the state,the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources isin the process of finalizing a study to examine thepermitting and approvals for reactivating pre-existinghydropower sites to determine how the process can beexpedited and streamlined. The study is expected to bereleased in early February.

NHA TODAY

D E S I G N

THE HILL: EBBS AND FLOWSENERGY DEPARTMENT AWARDS $10.5 MILLION FOR NEXT-

GENERATION MARINE ENERGY FUNDING >

The Department of Energy recently announced six marine energy organizations were selected to receive

up to $10.5 million to support the design and operation of innovative marine and hydrokinetic (MHK)

systems through survivability and reliability-related improvements. The improvements supported by this

funding will help these devices last longer, cost less to maintain and capture even more sustainable energy

from the enormous potential of the nation's oceans and rivers.

NHA TODAY

•Dehlsen Associates, LLC is developing a wave energy converter (WEC) comprised of multiple pods that use

common components to achieve economies of scale. In this project, the device structure will be optimized to

improve its survivability characteristics, thus significantly reducing the cost of energy derived from the WEC.

• M3 Wave LLC, is developing a WEC that sits on the ocean floor and harnesses energy from the pressure waves

beneath ocean waves. This project will develop modeling tools to explore ways to minimize effects of sediment

transport, such as water erosion, displacement, and tilting of the device, and to increase the lifetime of the

system by reducing maintenance requirements in commercial-scale deployments.

• Oscilla Power, Inc. is developing a WEC consisting of a surface float that is tethered to a base suspended in the

water. This projects aims to optimize the device's storm-survival configurations, which will decrease the loads the

device experiences during extreme conditions, thus lowering the resulting cost of energy.

• Columbia Power Technologies, Inc. will develop and deploy a streamlined, cost-effective installation and

recovery process that includes design updates and process improvements related to IO&M, while deploying

the floating, offshore WEC.

• Igiugig Village Council, in southwestern Alaska, will develop a river turbine system that will demonstrate IO&M

design improvements to simplify maintenance and make system components more durable during operations.

• Verdant Power, Inc., of New York, New York, will complete their TriFrame foundation, which optimizes turbine

spacing and support structures to allow for cost-effective IO&M. This will provide a way to deploy three turbines

together as a single system and make it possible to retrieve all three turbines with one on-water operation.

NHA TODAY

Click here to access the online application portal

On Tuesday, February 2, at 1pm ET, the

Clean Energy States Alliance's State-

Federal RPS Collaborative will be

holding a webinar to explore the role

and treatment of hydropower in RPSs

across the country. Specifically, it will

provide an overview of hydropower

technologies, growth potential, and the

opportunities for this renewable

energy resource to provide additional

value to RPSs in the future.

NHA TODAY

CESA WEBINAR: HYDROPOWER AND RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDSWEBINAR>

NHA will present on the current state of hydropower in RPSs, as well as growth opportunities across

the industry, including efficiency improvements and new development. The Low Impact Hydropower

Institute will explain its independent Certification Program, which has been incorporated into some

state RPSs and voluntary markets. A representative of the US Department of Energy’s Hydropower

Vision will discuss that initiative, which will lay out the building blocks for a new era of sustainable

hydropower growth over the next half century. There will be time for questions. The webinar will be

hosted by CESA Executive Director Warren Leon.

David Zayas, Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Technical Services, National Hydropower

Association

•Dana Hall, Deputy Director, Low Impact Hydropower Institute

Tim Welch, Hydropower Program Manager, Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, US

Department of Energy

THROUGH THE PENSTOCK: NHA HAPPENINGS

For more information and resources related to CESA's State-Federal RPS Collaborative, please visit

http://www.cesa.org/projects/state-federal-rps-collaborative/ .

Presenters:

The NHA Past Presidents’ Legacy Scholarship is now accepting applications. Deadline to submit

an application is February 15, 2016. Scholarship information and the application are posted on

the NHA website at www.hydro.org/awards

Job seekers can open accounts, search by keyword or location, post a resume, apply directly to

jobs, and create personal job alerts for FREE.

The NHA Job Board is an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for members and non-

members. Job seekers can browse current vacancies, post an anonymous resume and create new

job alerts. Employers can post a job or browse the resume bank to find the right candidate. It

connects hiring companies with experienced, capable professionals who want to use their

expertise to advance business, technology, and the hydro industry.

NHA TODAY

PAST PRESIDENTS’ LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIP>

JOBS> NHA JOBS BOARD

The $2,500 scholarship goes to promising young students who demonstrates the academic skills

and commitment to help create the next generation of leaders in the hydropower industry.

(1) current college sophomores or juniors who will be college juniors or seniors beginning fall

2016, or graduate students with a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale (or

equivalent) who are enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate course of study at an

accredited four-year college or university; or (2) Applicants must be students with an equivalent

GPA at an accredited vocational technical school or program.

Employers and recruiters can open accounts for free, post job openings and review resumes.

NHA Members get discounted job posting rates. Rates are extremely competitive, giving you the

ability to post jobs and search thousands of qualified candidates.

THROUGH THE PENSTOCK: NHA HAPPENINGS

Applicants must be pursuing a program of study that is related to the hydropower industry:

Engineering, sciences (biology, fisheries, and hydrology), communications, or environmental

studies.

6in16OpEx Announces

The 6 in '16 challengeFor current or new participants in the OpEx program,anyone who submits a minimum of six Event Reportsbetween October 1, 2015 and the conclusion of the 2016HPC Fall Retreat, will be entered into a drawing to win a$600 Best Buy gift card. For those who have submittedan Event Report since this past October, you will becounted.

The OpEx program extends many thanks to SouthernCompany for challenging the industry to participate inOpEx and for providing the prize. Registering for OpEx is easy and can be done athydroexcellence.org.

For questions, contact David Zayas at David@hydro.org

NHA TODAY

hydroexcellence.org

Click here to view the report.

ODD AND ENDS

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency recently

released its Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report, which

highlights its successful efforts to connect U.S.

industry with global infrastructure opportunities.

USTDA ISSUES 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

USTDA's FY 2015 Annual Report features success

stories that demonstrate how the Agency's

programs have advanced economic growth at home

and abroad by bringing U.S. private sector solutions

to development challenges.

NHA TODAY

Most notably, those stories highlight cooperative

efforts to electrify villages in Rwanda with new

hydropower generation

A new research and site selection report

from commercial real estate services firm

CBRE on cost effective locations for cloud

computing and data centers, found that

Quincy, Washington ranks as the lowest cost

market for power in the United States and is

one of the most attractive locations in the

country to build and operate a data center.

The report specifically states that, "In

Quincy, electric power is supplied by two

hydroelectric dams that produce

renewable power at a highly competitive

rate. Increasingly, data center clients are

evaluating the power source along with

the cost of power. Thus, the low cost of

power and its renewable source make

Quincy an attractive market for users..."

CLEAN ENERGY DATA CENTERS

Technology companies are increasingly

becoming aware of the clean, affordable

and renewable benefits of hydropower.

Recently, it was announced that Google is

investing $600 million to bring the

company's eighth U.S. data center to

Clarksville, Tennessee. The facility, in turn,

will be powered by Tennessee Valley

Authority.

* * *

MEET A HYDRO RESEARCH FOUNDATION RESEARCHER

NHA TODAY

The Hydro Research Foundation is actively supporting graduate

students to conduct research related to conventional and pumped

storage hydropower. These students are funded through the

Department of Energy’s Water Power Program and industry partners.

As part of NHA’ s support of the Research Awards Program, members

are invited to learn more about these cutting edge researchers.

Seth Gregg is studying at Colorado School of Mines pursuing a

Masters in Science in Mechanical Engineering and is interested in

real world applications of machine learning and statistics to

intelligent energy systems as well as prognostics and health

management (PHM). Seth recently returned to school after a 12-

year career working with process controls and vibration analysis.

Seth enjoys gardening, viticulture, Oenology, teaching and being

involved in the local community..

Seth is working with Dr. John Steele at Colorado School of Mines as well as Erin Foraker and John

Germann at the Bureau of Reclamation to research Advanced Analysis of Hydroelectric Turbine

Condition Monitoring Data for Early Damage Detection. Condition monitoring is an important part of

reducing operations and maintenance costs in hydroelectric plants. By monitoring the turbines running

parameters in real time, both short and long term operating decisions can be made to prevent

catastrophic failure and lengthen the run time between maintenance. Many hydroelectric turbines are

instrumented to collect condition monitoring data, however, analysis of the data can be a lengthy and

complex process. In order to make real time operational decisions, analysis of the condition monitoring

data must be done in an ongoing way using monitoring software and damage detection algorithms that

look at real time health of the turbine. A key part of understanding the health of a turbine is to

understand when it is undergoing cavitation.

NHA TODAY

Cavitation damage on turbines is caused when vapor bubbles implode on the surface of the guide

vanes, wicket gates, turbine runners, or draft tubes. Cavitation can be relatively harmless or quite

destructive and leads to efficiency losses, severe vibration and lengthy repair outages. Differentiating

between types of cavitation and predicting the health of the turbine remains a challenge and this

research aims to aid this effort by developing an algorithm for detecting the different types of

cavitation and classifying its destructiveness. The algorithm will be developed by applying statistical

learning (machine learning) techniques to existing condition monitoring and running data collected

on turbines undergoing cavitation.

To connect with Seth Gregg or learn more about the Research Awards Program

please email info@hydrofoundation.org or visit the website

www.hydrofoundation.org

HYDRO RESEARCH FOUNDATIONRESEARCHER

The first task for creating an effective algorithm will be to correlate the many different types of

condition monitoring data – from turbine vibration and flow to generator power and speed – with

cavitation damage and turbine health. This process is used to features of the data that correlate well

with damaging cavitation and turbine health. Once the correct data features are chosen, we will apply

statistical methods that learn how to identify damaging cavitation from condition monitoring data.

Since operating characteristics are different for every turbine, we will develop an algorithm that

automates the learning process and creates cavitation and health parameters specific to each

turbine being monitored.

NHA TODAY

D E S I G N

Early Bird Discount – NHA Waterpower Week inWashington –Annual Conference, IMREC & METS

Register today and take advantage of both the NHA Member Discount and Early BirdDiscount on registration rates for the NHA Waterpower Week in Washington. WaterpowerWeek in Washington is one event with three conferences: Annual Conference, InternationalMarine Renewable Energy Conference (IMREC) and Marine Energy Technology Symposium(METS).

This event brings together the industry’s collective knowledge on a diverse set of topics.The 2016 Annual Conference theme is: Strengthening Our Economy. Protecting Our Future. Now in its second year, IMREC brings together individuals interested in marine energy toshare challenges, find solutions, and continue to move the marine industry forward.

The 4th annual METS will provide a venue where technical experts can publish and presentwave and water current energy research that helps accelerate the pace of technologydevelopment. For more information, visit the Waterpower Week in Washington website andregister today to take advantage of Early Bird and Member Discounts.

Click here to Register

HYDRO ANNOUNCEMENTS

METS CALL FOR ABSTRACTS – JANUARY 22ND DEADLINE

FERC SETS DAM SAFETY WORKSHOP IN SPOKANE

The main objective of the Marine Energy Technology

Symposium (METS) is to provide a venue where technical

experts can publish and present wave and water current

energy research that helps accelerate the pace of Marine

Energy technology development.The METS 2016 organizing

committee is seeking 3-5 page extended abstracts that

focus on the design, analysis, environmental evaluation,

and socio-economic evaluation of wave energy and water

current energy converter technologies..

NHA TODAY

On March 1, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is holding a one-day introductory

workshop on dam safety on March 1 at Avista’s auditorium in Spokane, WA. The workshop will be followed

by a tour of Spokane’s Upriver Dam on the 2nd from 9-10:30.

Target Audience: Dam operators and dam safety engineers for licensees; consultants; dam owners,

including smaller utilities and owners of individual dams.Speakers will include members of the FERC

Division of Dam Safety and inspections. A full agenda is available at:

http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/safety/wkshps.asp

The workshop will cover how each type of dam maintains stability, how to monitor dams to prevent

failures, and how to reduce the consequences of a potential failure by having an effective Emergency

Action Plan.

For information on submitting your abstract, click here.

Authors whose extended abstracts are accepted will be given the opportunity to give a podium

presentation or participate in the poster session. For further questions, contact: Arielle Cardinal

arielle.cardinal@nrel.gov

Areas of Interest

Device design, analysis, simulation, Environmental effects evaluation andsimulationResource assessment andcharacterizationLaboratory and open waterexperimental testingMaterials and coatingsDesign and analysis of mooringsystems

HYDRO ANNOUNCEMENTS

WATERPOWER WEEK IN WASHINGTON CLOSINGSESSION: FERC HOT TOPICS, MEET, GREET

CLIMATE ADAPTATION LEADERSHIPAWARD FOR NATURAL RESOURCES

The closing session will include all three directors of the hydro division under the FERC Office of

Energy Projects.

NHA TODAY

Do you know individuals or organizations that are making a difference to increase our understanding of

climate impacts on natural resources and/or providing innovative approaches to reducing impacts,

improving response capabilities, and increasing resilience in a changing climate?

Nominate them for the new Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources and help us

recognize their outstanding efforts to increase awareness and safeguard U.S. natural resources from

climate change.

The deadline to submit nominations has been extended to January 22, 2016. Learn more here.

William H. Allerton, Director, Division of Dam Safety and Inspections

Jennifer Hill, Director, Hydropower Administration & Compliance

Vince Yearick, Director, Hydropower Licensing

This session will provide a unique opportunity to meet and dialogue with FERC staff all in one place. In this

session, representatives of the staff of the Office of Energy Projects from the divisions of licensing,

compliance and dam safety will discuss hot topics, share their perspectives and respond to your questions

and concerns.

The Climate Adaptation Leadership Award is sponsored by the National Fish, Wildlife and Plant Climate

Adaptation Strategy in partnership with the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Forest

Service, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

W W W . F R A M E M A G . C O M | 2 0

NHAWELCOMES...

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NHA TODAY

For information on HeliosAltas visit:www.heliosaltas.com

W W W . F R A M E M A G . C O M | 2 0

NHAWELCOMES...

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For information on Cardinal Engineering visit:www.cardinalengineeringllc.com

NHA TODAY

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