National Hydropower Association

What an incredible few days in Alaska! NHA just wrapped the 2026 NHA Alaska Regional Meeting, and we had a few highlights to shout out: 🔹 Alaska's hydropower potential is unmatched. The conversations around developing and modernizing the state's incredible water resources reminded all of us why this work matters so much. 🔹 Grid resilience for remote communities. Vital discussion about what reliable, affordable hydropower means for Alaska's rural and Indigenous communities, not just as an energy source, but as a foundation for economic opportunity. Thank you to the attendees, speakers, partners, and co-hosts Chugach Electric Association and Alaska Energy Authority! Next stop is NHA's California Regional Meeting in sunny San Diego, California from June 24-26, 2026.

The Bureau of Reclamation is investing approximately $52 million from The Hoover Dam Post-Retirement Benefit Fund to support critical infrastructure upgrades and strengthen hydropower reliability at Hoover Dam. As prolonged drought and lower Lake Mead elevations continue to affect hydropower generation, this funding will help advance key improvements, including up to three new widehead turbines designed to operate at much lower lake elevations. Once complete, the upgrades could restore up to 160 megawatts of hydropower capacity. These investments will help strengthen grid reliability and ensure Hoover Dam continues providing renewable power to communities across Nevada, Arizona and California. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gswyzawU

The beautiful weather in Portland, Oregon, gave way to the finale of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC) at Pacific Ocean Energy Trust's #ORECMECC2026. Culminating in a conference of college and university students from across the U.S., the MECC, now in its seventh year, is an important component in strengthening the future water power workforce, as the participants are tasked with tackling some of the biggest challenges currently facing the sector. Ultimately, University of Southern California won first place in the Megawatt League competition; second place was awarded to University of Washington, followed by California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo; congratulations to all participants! Later in the day, NHA's Kelly Rogers, moderated a panel at #OREC titled "From the States to Capitol Hill: The Current Landscape of Marine Energy Policy," which featured Gabrielle Serra from Oregon State University and Director Janine Benner from Oregon Department of Energy. The speakers discussed marine energy's role on a state-level while looking ahead to the advocacy efforts the sector needs to undertake to help advance marine energy deployment.

NHA is honored to partner with the Western Governors' Association to spur new and innovative energy goals that hydropower can help achieve. This week, the bipartisan organization, led by Utah Governor, Spencer Cox, is hosting a workshop dedicated to 'energy superabundance' in the Western U.S., with the goal of getting more reliable energy on the grid to meet rising demand and keep energy bills lower. At this event, NHA's Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Markets, Connor Nelson, MPA, headlined a panel discussion about the necessity and the challenge of building large energy infrastructure. Joining Connor on the panel were Caleb Douglas of Schnabel Engineering, Joseph Gardener from Salt River Project, Michael Squires at UAMPS, and moderator, Amanda Connor, of WSP in the U.S. Connor focused on the critical need to build more energy storage in the West, especially Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH). Storage is the key to meet demand, withstand extreme weather events, power AI, and more. There's currently about 60 GW of PSH in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's development pipeline, and 85% is located in the West. But a broken permitting process and financing challenges are slowing these projects down Connor proposed a number of solutions that Congress and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) should consider to speed up new development and encourage investors to prioritize these large projects that yield long-term benefits. You can learn more about those proposals here: https://lnkd.in/gstq8s8g Beyond policy and regulatory fixes, he also urged developers to continue focusing on community engagement to build trust and support among stakeholders. Thanks to WGA for hosting this great forum and the great ideas it sparks! NHA is eager to bring them back to The Nation's Capital.

For years, the conversation around marine energy centered on its long-term potential, but that's changing; the defense and homeland security sector is driving demand for unmanned maritime systems. Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is offering concrete example of what this looks like in practice. Through deployments with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Naval Postgraduate School, OPT's autonomous surface vehicles and offshore buoy systems are already delivering persistent offshore presence, distributed sensing and communications nodes, and extended connectivity with minimal human oversight, powered entirely by marine energy. With 95,471 miles of U.S. coastline to monitor and defend, the systems required to do that job are only as capable as their power source, and marine energy is purpose-built for that role. The policy environment is catching up, too. Bipartisan legislation like the Water Power R&D Reauthorization Act and the FLOWS Act are strengthening the commercial foundation, and the Golden Dome framework is putting maritime domain awareness squarely on the national agenda. This isn't a technology waiting for its moment. Marine energy is deployable today, and the market is forming around it. To learn more, read the POWERHOUSE article here: https://bit.ly/4wFJ2ue

Energy is on the agenda this week in Alaska! Today marks the conclusion of the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference and the beginning of NHA’s Alaska Regional Meeting. This morning, NHA’s president and CEO, Malcolm Woolf, spoke at the Energy Conference’s plenary, where he delivered a presentation titled, “Dam Proud: How #Hydropower Shaped Alaska and Powers Our Future.” Hydropower supplies close to 30% of Alaska’s electricity, and as marine, tidal, and river energy projects help power remote communities, the potential of Alaska’s water powered future is vast; Alaskan marine energy resource potential is estimated to be 1,100 TWh/yr – enough to power 100 million homes (National Laboratory of the Rockies)! Later today, as NHA’s Regional Meeting kicks off, attendees will tour Chugach Electric Association’s Eklutna Hydroelectric Project. Located in Southcentral Alaska, this project has served as essential energy resource since 1955, and it provides Chugach with 25.7 MW, powering almost 25,000 homes. After a reception tonight, attendees of NHA’s regional meeting have a packed agenda awaiting them tomorrow, including sessions on updates and new developments, technological innovations, and taking advantage of tax credits/direct pay.

The countdown is on for the Clean Currents full program announcement! In the meantime, start planning your week in the desert with the Schedule at a Glance. From golf and sunrise yoga to kayaking and networking events, there’s something for everyone at Clean Currents 2026. ☀️ 🧘♀️ 🛶 View the Schedule at a Glance here: https://lnkd.in/dHugN4hp

We may be heading into a holiday weekend, but NHA isn't slowing down! This week, NHA staff are traveling across the country to lead and participate in a number of waterpower and energy events. They include NHA's Alaska Regional Meeting in Anchorage, the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, Pacific Ocean Energy Trust's Ocean Renewables Energy Conference in Oregon, an "Energy Superabundance" workshop hosted by Western Governors' Association, and more. Stay connected to NHA's social media for updates throughout the week!