Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Low Head / Low Power Resource Assessment of Hydrologic Units 11 and 17 Randy D. Lee December 18, 2002

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Hydro Power Background 1989 DOE initiated a National Energy Strategy –Identify energy resources for expanding demand –Major differences in estimates from FERC and COE 70,000 MW – 600,000 MW –No previous estimates of undeveloped power 1998 Interagency Hydropower Resource Assessment Team established –Assessment addressed resources of 1 MW or greater 2000 DOE initiated an assessment of U.S. hydropower resources of less than 1 MW –Low head (less than 30 feet) –Low power (less than 1 MW)

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Project Objective Develop and demonstrate a method for estimating the hydropower potential for a large geographic area USGS – provided flow, elevation, and power estimates by stream reach INEEL – analyzed, assessed and reported on potential hydropower resources

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory US Hydrologic Regions

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Arkansas White Red Hydrologic Region - 11

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Pacific Northwest Hydrologic Region –17

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Synthetic Stream Networks Provided by USGS - developed from the Elevation Derivatives for National Applications (EDNA) Dataset Stream channels derived from digital elevation models (DEMs) Stream reaches are generally defined as segments between confluences (average reach length  2 mi.) EDNA associates local runoff surface area (catchment) with each stream reach (average catchment area  3 mi. 2 ) Total drainage area supplying runoff to reach outlet obtained by summing area of upstream catchments

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Total Drainage Area: mi 2 Synthetic Stream Networks (Continued)

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Stream Reach Flow Estimation EDNA catchments were overlaid with climate data from the Oregon State University PRISM Dataset –Mean annual precipitation –Mean annual temperature Stream flow regression equation from: Vogel, Wilson, and Daly (1999), “Regional Regression Models of Annual Streamflow for the United States”: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, May/June 1999, p

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Stream Reach Flow Estimation (Continued) Stream Flow Regression Equation Arkansas White Red Region Q 11 = e A P T where Q is the mean flow for a site in Region 11 (A-W-R), in cubic meters per second A is drainage area, in square kilometers P is mean annual precipitation, in mm/yr T is mean annual temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit times 10

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Hydropower Potential Estimation Hydropower Potential Equation P =  [Q i * H + (Q o -Q i ) * H/ 2 ] =  H(Q i +Q o )/ 2 where P = power in kilowatts  = (1/11.8) Q i = flow rate at the upstream end of the stream reach in cubic feet per second Q o = flow rate at the downstream end of the stream reach in cubic feet per second H= hydraulic head in feet equal to z i - z o z i = elevation at the upstream end of the stream reach in feet z o = elevation at the downstream end of the stream reach in feet

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Identification of Excluded Waterways Intersect synthetic streams with excluded waterways –Wild & Scenic Rivers and National Parkways Federally protected linear features –Federal and Tribal Lands National battlefields National parks National parkways National monuments National preserves Wildlife preserves Wildlife management areas Wilderness areas

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Region-17 Excluded Areas

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Validation of Synthetic Stream Networks EDNA synthetic stream dataset intersected with National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) to identify false streams Synthetic Streams NHD Streams Red River Drainage

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Power Summation Sum stream reach power potentials for: –All reaches –Excluded reaches –Non-excluded reaches Stream Reach Hydropower Potential Dataset (without false synthetic streams) EXCLUDED Stream Reach Hydropower Potential Dataset NON-EXCLUDED Stream Reach Hydropower Potential Dataset Excluded Waterways Filter Excluded Waterways Filter

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Total Developed Hydropower Capacity Total developed hydropower capacity in the region was obtained from: Hydroelectric Power Resources of the United States - Developed and Undeveloped, Washington: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 1 January 1992, p. 80. Total developed hydropower capacity for each region: 1,966 MW 32,430 MW Region-11 Region-17

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Total Hydropower Potentials – HUC-11 5, ,894 Total Hydropower Potential  All stream reach potentials Total Excluded Hydropower Potential  All excluded stream reach potentials Total Non-excluded Hydropower Potential  All non-excluded stream reach potentials Total Available Hydropower Potential Total non-excluded - Developed 4,8941,966 = = = = 2,928 Megawatts “Available” means Non-excluded, Undeveloped

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Total Hydropower Potential Results Region-11Region-17 Total hydropower potential 5,024 MW76,425 MW Total excluded hydropower potential 130 MW20,294 MW Total non-excluded hydropower potential 4,894 MW56,131 MW Total developed hydropower capacity 1,966 MW32,430 MW Total available hydropower potential 2,928 MW23,710 MW

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Total Hydropower Potential Results (Continued) Total Hydropower Potential 5,042 MW Total Hydropower Potential 76,425 MW Region-11 Region-17

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory The Low Head/Low Power Regime Microhydro Power

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Filter stream reach hydropower potential dataset using low head/low power regime boundaries: LH/LP Technical Approach Stream Reach Hydropower Potential Dataset (without false synthetic streams) EXCLUDED Stream Reach Hydropower Potential Dataset NON-EXCLUDED Stream Reach Hydropower Potential Dataset Excluded Waterways Filter Excluded Waterways Filter

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory LH/LP Hydropower Potential Results Region-11 Total LH/LP hydropower potential 2,021 MW Total excluded LH/LP hydropower potential 53 MW Total non-excluded LH/LP hydropower potential 1,968 MW Total developed LH/LP hydropower capacity 0 MW Total available LH/LP hydropower potential 1,968 MW Region-17 Total LH/LP hydropower potential 1,992 MW Total excluded LH/LP hydropower potential 203MW Total non-excluded LH/LP hydropower potential 1,789 MW Total developed LH/LP hydropower capacity 5 MW Total available LH/LP hydropower potential1,784 MW

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory LH/LP Hydropower Potential Results (Continued) HUC-11

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory LH/LP Hydropower Potential Results (Continued) HUC-17

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Power Potential Results – Region 11 Zero Power Low Head / Low Power High Head / Low Power High Power

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Power Potential Results – Region 17 Zero Power Low Head / Low Power High Head / Low Power High Power Excluded Area

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Conclusions This project has demonstrated a viable technical approach to assessing regional hydropower potential Replication of the technical approach for the remaining 16 hydrologic regions can produce similar results for the entire continental US There is a significant available hydropower potential in the two Hydrologic Regions studied (  2,000 MW in Region 11 and  24,000 MW in Region 17) Two-thirds of the available hydropower potential in the Region 11 is low head/low power Nearly 2,000 MW of the available hydropower potential in the Region 17 falls in the category of LH/LP

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Future Plans