Hydropower's Role in the Energy Grid

April 24 @ 9 - 10:30 PST / noon - 1:30 EST

Hydropower plays an important role in the energy grid, but not all projects were designed to provide the same grid services. This webinar will describe hydropower's ability to provide ancillary services that bring benefits to the energy market and grid, including baseload power, grid regulation, flexibility, black start capability, and more. Learn about the project characteristics associated with different types of grid services as well as the fleet-wide perspective of how much hydropower contributes to the grid in different areas. 

Participants will: 

• Understand hydropower’s role in the energy grid and how it contributes to grid reliability and flexibility in different ways. 
• Learn about different types of ancillary services and which types are compatible with each other. 
• Discover how much water is needed at a hydro project in order for that project to provide certain ancillary services.  

This webinar will explore concepts outlined in the Hydropower Licensing 101 Toolkit, specifically in the following areas: “Facility Types: Operations and Economics”.

This session also aligns with the following core competencies identified in the document "Technical Core Competencies: River Management Specialists and Non-Specialists": Other Relevant Laws, Policies and Tools for River Management, River Management Planning.

Presenters

W. Hill Balliet is a senior researcher and project manager in the energy systems group at Idaho National Lab. His research is focused on grid dynamics, hydropower hybrids, and renewable energy integration. He holds a master's in electrical engineering from University of Southern California and a bachelor's in general engineering from Harvey Mudd College. Before coming to INL, Hill contributed to project management, proposal selection, and strategic development of the HydroWIRES initiative in the Water Power Technologies Office at DOE.

Abhishek Somani (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Registration

This series is free and open to all. Register for the whole series or just a few sessions at the link below.

Register

About the series "Hydropower Insights: Exploring Projects, Energy Markets, and Licensing Trends"

Building on the foundation laid by the Hydropower Licensing 101 Toolkit, this four-part series is designed to address the gaps in available resources for hydropower practitioners seeking an understanding of various aspects of hydropower projects and the licensing process. The series will dive into the basics of hydropower projects, hydropower’s role in the energy market, its role in providing ancillary services to the grid, and trends and changes in the licensing process over the last 30 years. By the end of this series, new and experienced practitioners alike will have acquired essential knowledge and practical insights, leaving participants poised to navigate the complexities of hydropower projects and the licensing process with confidence and expertise. Learn more about the series.

• March 13: Hydropower Projects 101
• March 20: Hydropower's Role in the Energy Market
• April 3: Trends in Relicensing: Evolution, Challenges, and Lessons Learned
• April 24: Hydropower's Role in the Energy Grid