They were used for barges moving goods along the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny rivers for decades.
Rye Development, a Boston-based hydropower firm, is retrofitting dams with turbines for electricity generation. Rye Development claims that the improved structures will reduce the river’s water quality and fish habitats.
This project is a result of a recent warming between conservation groups and the industry. Conservation groups had long opposed dams that could prevent fish migration, alter water temperature, or cause other environmental problems. Rye is one of the companies who sees an opportunity for hydropower production to increase at existing dams, while minimizing environmental harms.
The infrastructure law of President Joe Biden, which allocates $2.5 billion to projects that include dam removals and upgrades at existing structures for energy storage and hydropower, reflects recent compromises between industry and environmental groups.
“We recognize that hydropower will play some part in the transition. It’s definitely better than coal,” Ted Illston, American Rivers, who has advocated for the removal of dams on environmental grounds.
Hydropower is the second-largest source of renewable energy in America after wind power. It uses water to spin turbines that are connected to generators. It accounted for approximately 7% of electricity in the country in 2020.
Although the industry hasn’t been able to receive as much federal funding or tax incentives as solar and wind, it sees potential for growth. About 2,500 of the 90,000. dams in the nation produce power. According to the Electric Power Supply Association, non-powered dams could produce enough electricity to power 9 to 12 millions homes. This estimate is based on federal data dating back to 2012.
The challenge lies in the fact that many dams in the U.S. were constructed more than 50 years ago. Recent years have seen a rise in demolitions due to the risk of dam collapses. More than 40% of nearly 2,000 dams removed in the United States in the last decade. Many are being torn down for environmental reasons.
Federal regulators made a significant step towards approving the demolition of what would have been the largest dam removal in American history. The removal of four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River, near the Oregon-California boundary would save salmon and other fish species from being unable to reach their breeding habitats due to the structures.
Hydropower industry and conservation groups continue to clash over dams. Conservation groups and state environmental agencies in Maine are pushing to remove four hydropower dams on Maine’s Kennebec River that prevent endangered Atlantic salmon from accessing their key habitat. These dams account for about 5% state-generated renewable energy.
Shannon Ames, executive Director of Low Impact Hydropower Institute, said that it is easy for river systems to become lost in the message about climate change and the need of renewable energy. The institute grades hydropower dams on the basis of environmental criteria.
The industry is more likely to expand in the eastern states because of persistent drought that has affected hydropower production west side the Mississippi River.
Rye, a Pennsylvania company, consulted the Low Impact Hydropower Institute at an early stage of its process. Rye is one of a few companies that are seeking certification from this group.
Companies must demonstrate that their structures are protected from endangered species, historic and cultural uses of rivers, passage for fishing, and other recreational areas in order to be certified. According to the group, its environmental standards are often more stringent than federal or state guidelines.
According to a five year study, dissolved oxygen levels, which is an important indicator of river water quality, were at or above state standards on a recently-certified dam in West Virginia, Ohio River. The organization has certified dams in some states that are eligible for green-energy programs.
Rye stated that its dams in Pennsylvania will support fish migration and that it is currently building a fishing platform. Federal regulators require hydropower producers support river recreation. Retrofits will be in place by 2025.