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Economic and dam related articles

Federal Budget Proposal Includes Millions
for U.S. Hydroelectric Power, Dams

by Michael Harris
HydroWorld, February 10, 2015

President Barack Obama's Fiscal Year 2016 budget requests include a number of requests for both the Department of Energy and Bureau of Reclamation that could provide significant funding for conventional, pumped-storage, and marine and hydrokinetic hydroelectric power.

The President's proposal includes more than US$67 million for DOE's Water Power Program, with funds being split $25.5 million for conventional and pumped-storage hydropower, and $40.8 million for MHK (marine hydro kinetic).

Specifically, DOE's allocations would be used for:

The funding will also invest 5% of Water Technology Program funding "toward new off-roadmap innovative technologies and solutions that can help meet existing goals but are not represented in a significant way in the current portfolio or technology roadmaps."

The DOE proposal represents more than $6 million in additional funding for the conventional hydropower program, with a $300,000 dip for MHK from the past fiscal year.

Meanwhile, the budget request includes a total of $1.1 billion for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation what would "provide robust investments in the safety, reliability and efficiency of America's water infrastructure and in conservation, reuse and applied science to address the nation's water supply challenges," the agency said.

The budget also reflects Reclamation's challenges in addressing the drought facing America's west, which, the Bureau said, "affects major U.S. river basins in virtually every western state."

Specifics of Reclamation's budget request include:

Other hydroelectric and dam-related budget highlights include:

Reclamation's budget also includes $112.5 million for its Indian Water Rights Settlements account, which the Bureau said is "among the highest priorities".


Michael Harris
Federal Budget Proposal Includes Millions for U.S. Hydroelectric Power, Dams
HydroWorld, February 10, 2015

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