Hydropower Reform Coalition

1. Hydropower Reform Coalition • Hydropower Reform Coalition – Western Caucus Meeting • Oakland, CA • March 10/11, 2008 • Richard J. Bowers

2. Hydropower Reform Coalition • Advocates for river protection and restoration at individual, privately-owned hydropower dams regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) • More than 140 local, regional and national outdoor recreation and conservation organizations that have effectively reduced the footprint of hydropower dams on rivers.

3. HRC Steering Committee Alabama Rivers AllianceWater Is Life

4. Presentation Overview • Perspectives on hydropower and watersheds • Hydropower as clean and renewable energy source • Economics of hydropower in a changing environment • New technologies • Hydropower in a warmer world

5. Perspectives on Hydropower • The view from a river advocacy position • More than one million fishermen, paddlers, birding enthusiasts, and environmental interests who are concerned with, and inspired by, rivers

6. What is clean energy? • Clean energy is any energy that causes little or no harm to the environment. Wind energy, solar energy (in all its forms--photovoltaic, geothermal, solar thermal, etc.), hydrogen and fuel cells, wave and tidal energy, and biomass are all examples of clean energy. • What we’ve learned from history is that no known energy source is 100% clean

7. Conventional Hydropower asRenewable Energy • Water is renewable, abundant, reliable, affordable, & sustainable • Low carbon-emissions • Potential of new technologies • Grid support for wind, solar, other

8. Hydropower Impacts on Rivers & Watersheds • Proven impacts on the function and resiliency of natural systems • Fragmenting free-flowing freshwater systems • Blocking the flow of nutrients and sediments • Blocking fish movement • Destroying stream-side habitat • Slowing and overheating the river upstream of the dam • Reducing flows downstream • Destruction of native fish populations • Altering and reducing flows in formerly wild rivers.

9. Economics of Dams • Most of the sites that are environmentally and economically acceptable have been developed • In a green economy, economic value must include the value and function that natural environments provide free of charge. • As a mature technology, hydropower does not provide new and innovative solutions, new investment and science, or job creation • Expected changes in the future will affect the value of hydropower

10. Small Hydro Projects • When you remove the few remaining sites for new dams that make environmental and economic sense, you are left almost exclusively with small scale hydro. Small hydro has all of the impacts of a large dam on a river or watershed, with little of the economic or power production values. • Small hydro = Small gain for huge costs!

11. What we support • Water conservation • Keeping water in river • Keeping water clean and healthy • Protecting species • Appropriately sited, operated and mitigated hydropower • Hydropower that is supportive of natural systems • Increased efficiency at existing dams • Opportunities to increase hydropower at non-power dams

12. Over 500 Small Hydro Projects Proposed in British Columbia

13. Hydrokinetics • Innovative hydropower projects that use the forces of currents, waves, and tides to generate clean, renewable electric energy. • Estimates are that the new hydrokinetic technologies, if fully developed, could double the amount of hydropower production in the United States, bringing it from just under 10% to close to 20% of the national supply.

14. Hydrokinetic Questions • Unknowns regarding the potential environmental effects of implementing new technologies in a new operating environment. • Given that the commission is proposing a process in which license applications would be reviewed, coordinated, and completed in the space of six months, there is a great risk of rushing into decisions that could result in significant unintended environmental impacts. • Potential impacts on commercial fishing, recreation and marine protection areas. • Cumulative Impacts

15. FERC Process for Licensing Hydrokinetic Projects

16. Identify appropriately sited renewable energy facilities Recognize and protect sensitive species Distinguish and avoid potential impacts to recreation and commercial interests Address cumulative impacts Complete state, regional and national planning Guarantee effective and coordinated public and agency involvement Include a requirement for project decommissioning and removal in cases where operation or installation results in significant adverse impacts Recommendations to Reduce Impacts from a New Technology

17. Climate Change • Healthy Rivers are resilient – they are more likely to cope successfully with climate disruption. • Hydropower and healthy river ecosystems both depend on flowing water. It is now beyond dispute that climate change disruption will have physical effects on water availability which result in important changes to the timing, quantity and quality of river flows. • For hydropower production, some of the effects and policy responses to climate disruption shift the quantity of power produced, others affect the value.

18. Hydropower in a Warmer World • Reduced or increased quantity of power due to river flow • Shifts in seasonal generation • Flood control & spills • Conflicts with other water users • Snowpack Reduction • Increased extreme precipitation events • Increased evaporation and transpiration • Reduced Predictability • Changed water quality

19. Parallel ImpactsHydropower & Climate Change • Both destroy resiliency by disturbing habitats and altering the hydrological & fluvial regimes within a watershed • Both change the timing & volume of flows • Both increase water temperature • Both decrease water quality & quantity • Both reduce fish migration • Both cause species extinction

20. Hydropower Economics & Potential in a Warmer World • Limited availability of environmentally and economically acceptable sites • No investment in new technologies or job creation • Needed investment to offset history of natural systems impact • offsetting damage to natural systems • Time needed to site, apply, approve and mitigate new dam construction

21. Recommendations for Hydropower in a Warmer World • Water conservation and efficiency • Operate and equip existing hydropower to protect rivers • New Hydropower – Not new dams • Encourage non-conventional hydropower with care • Coordinate multiple projects on a river • Decommission and remove hydropower dams where the benefits are compelling

22. Advocates for the West (ID) Alaskan Center for the Environment (AK) Alaskan Fly fishers (AK) Alder Creek Canoe & Kayak (OR) American Rivers American Whitewater Bear River Watershed Council (ID) Cascadia Wildlands Project (OR) Center for Justice (WA) Columbia Riverkeeper (WA) Conservation Northwest (WA) Federation of Fly Fishers (MT) Fish for Cooper Creek Coalition (AK) Friends of Living Oregon Waters (OR) Gifford Pinchot Task Force (OR) Greater Yellowstone Coalition (MT) Hells Canyon Preservation Council (OR) Idaho Rivers United (ID) Idaho Whitewater Association (ID) Montana River Action Network (MT) North Umpqua Foundation (OR) NW Resources Information Center (ID) Oregon Trout (OR) Oregon Wild (OR) Selkirk Conservation Alliance (ID) Steelhead Trout Club of Washington (WA) The Lands Council (WA) The Mountaineers (WA) The Steamboaters (OR) Trout Unlimited Umpqua Valley Audubon Society (OR) Umpqua Watersheds (OR) Utah Rivers Council (UT) Washington Kayak Club (WA) Water Watch of Oregon (OR) HRC Pacific Northwest Members

23. www.hydroreform.org