Small-Scale Hydropower Bill

The Small-Scale Hydropower Bill was designed to encourage the construction and production of small scale hydropower facilities. The bill also encourages that the hydropower facilities take advantage of smaller water sources for the production of power. With the current federal regulations, all hydropower facilities are seen equal whether big or small. The small facilities become very expensive and often times the funding for the projects fall through due to the overburden of federal regulations.

The act is for conduit style hydropower facilities that produce less than 1.5 megawatts. The Greybull hydropower facility will be creating just under 5 megawatts. My hope for the future is that other acts will be designed for tax relief on hydropower facilities in the 4 to 5 megawatt range. A 5 megawatt hydropower facility is small enough that most people would not even notice the facility. In most cases the size of the facility is small in reference to the large concrete or earth dam.

People are becoming more and more conscience about the nation’s reliance on oil production. With the cost of a barrel of oil rising tremendously, people will become more proactive in the development of renewable energy resources. Tax credits are ways to promote the construction of such facilities.

Hydropower and the Hydrologic Cycle

The article on the New York Times website titled Hydroelectric Power is a great short article that sort of summarizes the main focuses of hydroelectric power production. I most appreciate the description of hydropower from the United States Department of Energy, “Water constantly moves through a vast global cycle, evaporating from lakes and oceans, forming clouds, precipitating as rain or snow, then flowing back down to the ocean. The energy of this water cycle, which is driven by the sun, can be tapped to produce electricity or for mechanical tasks like grinding grain.” This description is great because it relates the production of hydroelectric power to the natural water cycles of the earth. It really drives the idea of hydroelectric power being a natural and renewable source of energy. The biggest concern with the Greybull hydroelectric facility is the cost of the project. The best way to offset the large cost is to relate the construction of the facility to the ongoing battle to change the world’s reliance on oil. With more and more renewable energy sources being developed and constructed, the environment will become a cleaner and more self reliant system.

The article can be found at http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/business/energy-environment/hydroelectric-power/index.html.

Downside to Hydropower

Many people think that because an energy source is renewal, that makes it 100% environmentally friendly. The problem with that idea is with the classic law of energy conservation. “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one state to another.” With a hydropower facility the energy that is produced at the turbines is transformed from the energy that is built up and stored in the reservoir. The amount of hydraulic head that is built up as the water level on the upstream of the dam increases is the source of renewable energy.

When a reservoir is built and filled with water the vegetation that is below the water surface is where the problem of greenhouse gas emission starts. Over time bio-matter that has accumulated on the bottom of the reservoir decomposes and methane and carbon dioxide are released. If the reservoir is deep enough the gases will be trapped by the water pressure. Once the water passes through the turbines and spillways in a hydropower facility, the gases are released to the environment. In a warmer climate more gases are produced and released into the environment. Tropic areas are a big concern due to the relatively warm annual temperatures. Areas like Greybull, Wyoming are less susceptible to the gases because of the cold temperatures.

The article found in Green Energy News explores this downside to hydropower facilities and the areas that are more susceptible to the problem. The URL for the article is: http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2007/20070077.html

Keeping Up with China

The Chinese President Hu Jintao said at a United Nations gathering that “by 2020, China would reduce carbon emissions by a "notable margin." China is not known for being an environmentally conscious country. With the high population of people and many of them now owning personal vehicles, severe smog emissions in China have been questioned on numerous occasions. With the continuing competition of which country is the best, hydroelectric energy is the new way for countries to win the competition. With the advancements in hydro technology that are available, many countries are looking to hydropower to increase their production of “green energy”. China is looking to spend $713 million dollars in the next decade to decrease their dependence on burning fossil fuels for energy production. The question that everybody is asking is; does China have enough will power and commitment to follow through with this new initiative? Personally I hope that China succeeds in making a cleaner and more environmentally environment. If all countries can adopt new technologies that will decrease the dependence on oil, the entire world will benefit.

This article relates to my blog and project because the price of building a hydropower facility is hard for many people to swallow. If people understand that the new “green energy” production will benefit the world and environment in the long run they will be more open to funding the projects. With the sky rocketing oil prices that we have now many people are starting to move towards new ways of producing power. With hydropower in the news and on peoples’ minds, more tax credits and grants will be provided to those who are building and funding hydropower facilities.