[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19162-19163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07585]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Challenges and Opportunities for Pumped Storage Hydropower

AGENCY: Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop and webinar.

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SUMMARY: The Wind and Water Power Technologies Office within the U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a Request for Information 
to identify the challenges and opportunities faced by the pumped 
storage hydropower industry. DOE is now announcing two additional 
opportunities to obtain individual stakeholder insight into the 
technical and market challenges and potential pathways to facilitate 
the development of pumped storage in the U.S.: A public workshop and a 
subsequent webinar entitled, ``Challenges and Opportunities for Pumped 
Storage Hydropower.''

DATES: 

Workshop

    The public workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, from 
1:00

[[Page 19163]]

p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Washington, DC following the National Hydropower 
Association Conference.

Webinar

    The public webinar will take place on Thursday, May 5, 2016, from 
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES:

Workshop

    The public workshop will be held in the Congressional Room at the 
Capital Hilton located at 1001 16th St. NW., Washington, DC 20036.

Webinar

    The webinar will be broadcasted to the public online. Instructions 
for accessing the webinar will be shared prior to the event. 
Registration is required.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be directed to Daniel 
Rabon at (202) 586-1545 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) comprises the overwhelming majority 
(97%) of utility-scale storage in the U.S. The value proposition of PSH 
lies in its ability to provide operating flexibility to balance system 
loads and variable generation from other renewables. However, since 
1995, only one PSH plant has been deployed in the U.S. Furthermore, 
while advanced PSH is being used worldwide, no single project in the 
U.S. is currently taking advantage of this technology.
    DOE is looking to continue to assess and better understand the 
challenges faced by the PSH industry as they relate to technology 
advancements for small, modular and large systems, market structures 
and civil works, and their respective technical, financial, market and 
regulatory challenges. While DOE recently released a Request for 
Information on this topic, this public workshop and subsequent webinar 
provide an additional opportunity for the hydropower community to 
express thoughts, concerns, and ideas based on their own experience 
that will help inform program strategy. Topic areas of interest up for 
discussion will include technical and market challenges facing PSH 
development and potential pathways forward. An agenda will be 
distributed prior to the events.
    The objective of the meeting is to ask for public input regarding 
the project described in this notice. To that end, it would be most 
helpful if members of the public provide information based on their 
personal experience, individual advice, and facts regarding this topic. 
It is not the objective of this meeting to obtain any group position or 
consensus. Rather, the DOE is seeking as many recommendations as 
possible from all individuals at this meeting.

Public Participation

Workshop

    Members of the public are welcome to attend the workshop. 
Registration is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Persons interested in attending this public workshop must register 
online by Friday, April 22, 2016. Early registration is recommended 
because facilities are limited and, therefore, DOE may limit the number 
of participants from each organization. To register for the public 
workshop, please visit http://bit.ly/1p5gFmW. Registrants will receive 
confirmation after they have been accepted. If you need special 
accommodations due to a disability, please contact Marisol Bonnet at 
(202) 586-4265 or by email at [email protected].

Webinar

    Members of the public are welcome to attend the webinar. Persons 
interested in attending this public workshop must register online by 
Wednesday, May 4, 2016. To register for the public webinar, please 
visit http://bit.ly/1R5h59a. Instructions for accessing the webinar 
will be sent to all registrants prior to the event.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 29, 2016.
Mark Higgins,
Deputy Director, Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-07585 Filed 4-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P