Estimate of national hydroelectric power potential at existing dams

Book · Wed Jul 20 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5758227

McDonald, R J

This report was prepared by the Corps of Engineers in response to a Presidential request to: determine the potential for additional hydropower installations at existing dams throughout the United States - especially at small sites; identify the constraints which might hinder or prevent the development of this potential; and identify the means which could be employed to resolve or relax these constraints and the incentives which might be used to spur the development of this potential. The results were as follows; by installing more efficient turbines and more powerful generators at existing hydropower dams, 5100 MW of capacity could be obtained; installing additional turbines and generators to existing hydropower dams, 15,900 MW of capacity could be obtained; a maximum of 33,600 MW could be obtained by constructing powerhouses at all existing nonhydropower dams in the US; there are engineering, economic, financial, environmental, social, and institutional constraints to constructing powerhouses at existing nonhydropower dams; and additional research, with emphasis on the construction of demonstration small-scale hydropower facilities at a number of existing nonhydropower dams, is recommended.

• OSTI ID: 5758227
• Report Number(s): NP-24216
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
130100* -- Hydro Energy-- Resources & Availability
DAMS
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
HYDROELECTRIC POWER
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LEGAL ASPECTS
NORTH AMERICA
POWER
POWER PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
USA