Hydro Leader Magazine

06/11/2024

04/11/2024

The November/December issue of Hydro Leader is here!

Many of our readers will know Emrgy for the innovative in-canal modular hydropower system it manufactures. This month, we feature another Emrgy venture: a first-of-its-kind floating solar project in the main canal of Oregon’s North Unit Irrigation District (NUID), supported by the Bureau of Reclamation. In our conversation with Emrgy Founder and CEO Emily Morris, NUID General Manager Josh Bailey, and Reclamation Project Manager TJ Kaup, we learn more about this effort to exploit the energy potential of a canal system—a project with lessons for water infrastructure managers across the West.

https://bit.ly/3YwtjNW

16/10/2024

Last week we attended Clean Currents in Portland, Oregon. We enjoyed being an exhibitor and getting to meet with all of the attendees. Thank you to NHA for a great event and we look forward to attending next year!

18/09/2024

Check out our article on Peter Moor of Breitenbush Hot Springs, an off-grid resort powered by refurbished small hydro from our October issue.

Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center , located in Marion County, Oregon, was developed as a resort in the 1920s and became a sought-after destination for decades. In the 1970s, the then-abandoned site was majorly renovated, and over several years of work, the original hydro turbine was refurbished, using an instruction booklet from 1895. Today, it produces 40 kilowatts (kW) of hydroelectricity to power the entire resort and support thousands of guests and staff year-round.

https://bit.ly/3ZjEOum

14/09/2024

Check out our article on Vesconite Bearings' long-lasting hydro components from our October issue.

Vesconite Bearings is a world-leading manufacturer of low- friction, wear-resistant bearing materials. With several industry-leading hydro applications already present at notable hydroelectric facilities in the United States, Vesconite continues to expand in the U.S. market. Vesconite’s efficient manufacturing allows for the quick dispatch of products, and its international presence ensures support is never far away. As Eddie Swanepoel, the director of Vesconite Bearings New Zealand, explains, Vesconite tirelessly works to improve its products and production to meet new requirements and supply new hydro applications.

https://bit.ly/3XCkYsY

12/09/2024

Check out our article on Matthew Taylor of GZA and a bright future for dams and hydropower from our October issue.

For 60 years, consulting firm GZA has been involved in site inspections, investigations, design, construction, removal, and seismic evaluations for more than 1,000 dams throughout the United States. Since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its new part 12 engineering regulations in 2021, the firm has expanded its dam and hydropower services to include comprehensive assessments (CAs) that accord with FERC’s new rules. In this interview, Matthew Taylor, GZA’s dams, levees, and hydropower practice leader, talks about assembling a “dream team” of qualified independent consultants (ICs) and subject-matter experts to conduct FERC’s new part 12 CAs for its clients.

https://bit.ly/3ZhslHe

09/09/2024

Check out our article on how New Zealand's Upper Waitaki Power Development enabled hydropower, irrigation, and premium salmon farming in hydro canals from our October issue.

A major hydropower development in the Mackenzie basin of New Zealand’s South Island paved the way for irrigation; dairy farming; and, that’s right, salmon farming in hydro canals. In this interview, Rick Ramsay, who worked for more than 30 years at Mount Cook Alpine Salmon, talks about the basin’s big hydro development, its ecological and agricultural challenges—and a fishy business that thrives on glacial waters from the Southern Alps.

https://bit.ly/3X9nZ2n