The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Energy => Topic started by: corbe on October 23, 2018, 08:29:34 pm
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Trump just gave renewable energy a long-awaited victory
by John Siciliano
October 23, 2018 04:20 PM
Trump signed a $6.1 billion spending bill Tuesday that gives hydropower a big, long-awaited victory by establishing two government task forces that speed-up the construction of electricity-producing dams.
The bipartisan water infrastructure bill, which funds the maintenance of waterways, harbors and canals, also creates two task forces meant to expedite licensing procedures to turn normal dams into renewable energy power plants, while also boosting the number of hydropower pump storage plants that could help move more solar and wind onto the grid.
Hydropower is one the nation's leading sources of clean, renewable energy generation that states and utilities have been looking to develop as a cheaper alternative to other large power plants. It is also one form of renewable energy that Trump supports. But adding new hydro-electric dams to the grid can take years to get through the licensing process, which is what the task forces seek to speed up.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/trump-just-gave-renewable-energy-a-long-awaited-victory (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/trump-just-gave-renewable-energy-a-long-awaited-victory)
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S.2800 - America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2800 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2800)
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Using hydropower to generate electricity, besides being the oldest of the renewables, is also the most reasonable one to deploy.
It also has benefits of controlling flooding, providing water supply, recreation and, as @thackney has reminded us previously, is gravity storage for supplying power during times other renewables cannot.