The Water Power Technologies Office within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EERE) plans to fund research on innovative upstream and downstream solutions to provide effective fish passage through hydropower dams, while reducing construction and operation costs.
More research is needed for improving fish passage technologies, both in terms of cost and efficiency, for many fish species among different river systems. Through two topic areas, the Water Power Technologies Office is looking to fund research focused on innovative upstream and downstream fish passage solutions to effectively provide volitional fish passage while reducing both construction and operational costs compared to existing methods.
The funded research will provide basic information and data on the effects of innovative technologies on fish; encourage advances in detection, sorting, and counting techniques that can be applied to fish passage structures; and support improvements in fish guidance and attraction to optimize passage. Decreasing environmental impacts helps realize the nation’s potential for future hydropower growth and optimization of the existing U.S. fleet.
- Topic Area 1 – Testing the Effects of Innovative Fish Passage Technologies (2 Subtopics)
- Topic Area 2: Advancing Innovative Methods and Technologies to Improve Fish Passage (2 Subtopics)