Key Dates: Letter of Intent Due: July 22, 2009; 11:59 p.m. EST
Applications Due: August 20, 2009; 11:59 p.m. EST

Program Information:  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is authorized to conduct research on all water power technologies and to establish a robust program of research, development, demonstration and commercial application activities to expand marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy production.   In order to specifically address these required elements, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program (WHTP) will award Recovery Act grants for research, deployment and testing of conventional hydropower technologies.

Grant Information:  DOE is soliciting applications from industry members or industry-led partnerships that propose to develop, deploy, and test hydropower projects that would modernize the existing hydropower infrastructure in the U.S. and increase both the quantity and value of hydropower generation, including environmental performance. The program will focus on supporting the deployment of turbines and control technologies to increase and maximize system generation at existing non-Federal hydroelectric facilities.  Financial assistance will be provided to a variety of hydropower projects that can be developed without significant modifications to dams and with a minimum of regulatory delay.  Cost-shared projects will be selected competitively to maximize total system efficiency through equipment and control system upgrades. The potential for increased power generation per federal dollar spent will be an important criterion.  Regional diversity of projects and level of cost share will be important policy factors to be applied during the selection process. Projects that require the construction of new dams or diversions will not be considered.

Specific subtopics of interest are:
A. Deployment of Hydropower Upgrades at Projects >50 MW ($25M): These include projects at larger, non-Federal facilities (greater than 50 MW capacity) with existing or advanced technologies that will enable higher energy and environmental performance and significant new generation. Preference will be given to projects that can be completed without significant modifications to dams and reservoir operation, that can avoid regulatory delays, and that demonstrate improvements through the use of advanced hydropower technologies.
B. Deployment of Hydropower Upgrades at Projects < 50 MW ($7M): These include projects at smaller, non-Federal facilities (less than 50 MW capacity) with existing or advanced technologies that will enable higher energy and environmental performance and significant new generation. Preference will be given to projects that can avoid regulatory delays and those that demonstrate improvements through the use of advanced hydropower technologies.

Note on Eligibility:  Eligibility is restricted to industry members or industry-led partnerships within the hydropower industry.  The industry member or industry lead can be a technology developer, project developer, private utility, or a public municipal or cooperative utility, privately-funded research organization, or service company.  A technology developer is defined as a company engaged in the research, development and/or deployment of a hydropower technology.  A service company is a company that provides engineering, design, environmental, or construction services via contracts to hydropower developers, utilities, or power producers. Federal and State entities will not be considered for an award.

Note on Cost Sharing:  The cost share from industry-led applications must be at least 50% of the total allowable costs for small (<50 MW) demonstration projects and at least 80% for large projects (>50 MW) (i.e., the sum of the Government share and the recipient share of allowable costs equals the total allowable cost of the project) and must come from non-Federal sources.

For More Information: View the full  Funding Opportunity Announcement  for program and application information.