Repairs |
Fund, repair and modernise
Funding has been allocated to repair ageing water infrastructure in the US, while repair and rehabilitation work is underway on a number of projects across the globe
Below: Sixten Holm, Business Development Manager for ABB Electrification Service division in Finland (yellow jacket), with Jarkko Virtanen, Vice President, Electrical and Machinery Technology for Kemijoki Oy – at the Kelukoski plant in the Arctic Circle
IN EARLY APRIL 2023 during a visit to the Imperial Dam on the California/Arizona border, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton announced a nearly $585 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for infrastructure repairs on water delivery systems throughout the West. Funding will go to 83 projects in 11 states to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydro power generation and provide water treatment. The visit to the Colorado River Basin’s Imperial Dam – which is receiving $8.24 million in fiscal year 2023 – is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America tour to highlight the opportunities that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are creating. “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making a historic investment to provide clean, reliable water to families, farmers and Tribes,” said Deputy Secretary Beaudreau. “As we work to address record drought and changing climate conditions throughout the West, these investments in our aging water infrastructure will conserve community water supplies and revitalize water delivery systems.” “President Biden is investing in America, and today’s announcement delivering much needed repairs to aging dams and other water infrastructure is part of our whole-of-government approach to making communities more resilient to drought,” said Senior Advisor Landrieu. “These projects have been identified through a
rigorous process and is a testament to the Bureau of Reclamation’s commitment to deliver water to future generations,” said Commissioner Touton. “As we manage through changing climate, we must look to the safety of our projects to ensure that we can continue to provide clean, reliable water to communities, irrigators, and ecosystems across the west.” The projects selected for funding are found in all the major river basins and regions where Reclamation operates. Among the 83 projects selected for funding are efforts to increase canal capacity, provide water treatment for Tribes, replace equipment for hydropower production and provide necessary maintenance to aging project buildings. Projects will be funded in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering historic resources to communities to help advance drought resilience and strengthen local
44 | May 2023 |
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economies. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $8.3 billion for Reclamation water infrastructure projects over five years to advance drought resilience and expand access to clean water for families, farmers and wildlife. The investment will repair aging water delivery systems, secure dams, complete rural water projects, and protect aquatic ecosystems. The Inflation Reduction Act is investing another $4.6 billion to address the worsening crisis. Combined these two initiatives represent the largest investments in climate resilience in the nation’s history and provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the work of the Interior Department.
Advanced manufacturing A new report from Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL) – Advanced Manufacturing and Materials for Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities – suggests that advanced manufacturing and materials could be the key to modernizing the US hydropower industry. While the industry currently generates 32% of all US
renewable energy, traditional manufacturing processes have hindered its ability to keep up with surging energy demand and rising material costs, the report suggests. To address these challenges, ORNL brought together representatives from the hydropower industry, advanced manufacturing industries, research institutions, and environmental groups to assess the potential for advanced manufacturing to enhance the industry’s existing fleet and design new approaches to hydropower. The report, which identifies infrastructure challenges and ways in which advanced manufacturing could improve performance, reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing, and better address environmental concerns, provides a roadmap for the industry’s future success. “Hydropower has enormous potential in securing a cleaner, more sustainable energy future,” said ORNL’s Mirko Musa. “We can build upon its success, layer by layer.” The report recommends the adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing and novel component coatings to improve system and component performance. It also suggests exploring new design capabilities to help the industry adapt to changing energy demand and supply chain challenges. By embracing advanced manufacturing, the
hydropower industry has the potential to remain a significant player in the renewable energy landscape for years to come, the report suggests.
Dam removal Initial steps for removing four of the Lower Klamath
Hydropower Project’s dams – the world’s largest salmon restoration project – have commenced, with
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