Office: Grid Deployment Office

Funding amount: $553,600,000

Period of Availability: Available until expended

Funding Mechanism: Incentive Payment

New Program: Yes

Recipients:

Non-Federal owners of qualified hydroelectric facilities that meet the following qualifications:

  1. Qualifying Facilities
    1. FERC licensed and placed in service before enactment of this section
    2. Is in compliance with all applicable Federal, Tribal, and State requirements; or would be brought into compliance as a result of the capital improvements.

Description: The Maintaining & Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives – or Section 247 program – is designed to support and enhance existing hydropower facilities through Gid Resilience, Dam Safety, and Environmental Improvements. Incentive payments shall not exceed 30% of the costs of the applicable capital, improvement, and not more than $5M will be provided to any facility in any Fiscal Year.

Eligible Uses: Incentives are provided projects, which Department of Energy determines is eligible, in three categories: (1) improving grid resiliency; (2) improving dam safety; and (3) environmental improvements.

Each category includes:

  1. Improving Grid Resiliency
    1. Adapting more quickly to changing grid conditions
    2. Providing ancillary services
    3. Integrating other variable sources of electricity generation
    4. Managing accumulated reservoir sediments
       
  2. Improving Dam Safety
    1. Maintenance or upgrade of spillways or other appurtenant structures
    2. Dam stability improvements, including erosion repair and enhanced seepage controls
    3. Upgrades or replacements of floodgates or natural infrastructure restoration
       
  3. Environmental Improvements
    1. Adding or improving safe & effective fish passage
    2. Improving quality of water retained or released by a qualified hydroelectric facility
    3. Promoting downstream sediment transport processes and habitat maintenance
    4. Improving Recreation access to project vicinity

Program Announcements: Download the Request For Information or Read the Press Release

Next Milestone: Estimated application opening date, TBD