--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17213" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "17213" heading: "Hydropower research, development, and demonstration" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17213" units: - "Chapter 152 — Energy Independence and Security" - "Subchapter V — Accelerated Research and Development" - "Part C — Water Power Research and Development" --- # §17213. Hydropower research, development, and demonstration The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall conduct a [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application for technologies that improve the capacity, efficiency, resilience, security, reliability, affordability, and environmental impact, including potential cumulative environmental impacts, of hydropower systems. In carrying out such [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall prioritize activities designed to— - (1) develop technology for— - (A) non-powered dams, including aging and potentially hazardous dams; - (B) pumped storage; - (C) constructed waterways; - (D) new stream-reach development; - (E) modular and small dams; - (F) increased operational flexibility; and - (G) enhancement of relevant existing facilities; - (2) develop new strategies and technologies, including analytical methods, physical and numerical tools, and advanced computing, as well as methods to validate such methods and tools, in order to— - (A) extend the operational lifetime of hydropower systems and their physical structures, while improving environmental impact, including potential cumulative environmental impacts; - (B) assist in device and system design, installation, operation, and maintenance; and - (C) reduce costs, limit outages, and increase unit and plant efficiencies, including by examining the impact of changing water and electricity demand on hydropower generation, flexibility, and provision of grid services; - (3) study, in conjunction with other relevant Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) as appropriate, methods to improve the hydropower licensing process, including by compiling current and accepted best [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19), public comments, and methodologies to assess the full range of potential environmental and economic impacts; - (4) identify opportunities for joint research, development, and demonstration [programs](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) between hydropower systems, which may include— - (A) pumped storage systems and other renewable energy systems; - (B) small hydro facilities and other energy storage systems; - (C) other hybrid energy systems; - (D) small hydro facilities and critical infrastructure, including water infrastructure; and - (E) hydro facilities and responsive load technologies, which may include smart buildings and city systems; - (5) improve the reliability of hydropower technologies, including during extreme weather events; - (6) develop methods and technologies to improve environmental impact, including potential cumulative environmental impacts, of hydropower and pumped storage technologies, including potential impacts on wildlife, such as— - (A) fisheries; - (B) aquatic life and resources; - (C) navigation of waterways; and - (D) upstream and downstream environmental conditions, including sediment movement, water quality, and flow volumes; - (7) identify ways to increase power generation by— - (A) diversifying plant configuration options; - (B) improving pump-back efficiencies; - (C) investigating multi-phase systems; - (D) developing, testing, and monitoring advanced generators with faster cycling times, variable speeds, and improved efficiencies; - (E) developing, testing, and monitoring advanced turbines capable of improving environmental impact, including potential cumulative environmental impacts, including small turbine designs; - (F) developing standardized powertrain components; - (G) developing components with advanced materials and manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing; and - (H) developing analytical tools that enable hydropower to provide grid services that, amongst other services, improve grid integration of other energy sources; - (8) advance new pumped storage technologies, including— - (A) systems with adjustable speed and other new pumping and generating equipment designs; - (B) modular systems; - (C) alternative closed-loop systems, including mines and quarries; and - (D) other innovative equipment and materials as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3); - (9) reduce civil works costs and [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) times for hydropower and pumped storage systems, including comprehensive data and systems analysis of hydropower and pumped storage [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) technologies and processes in order to identify areas for whole-system efficiency gains; - (10) advance efficient and reliable integration of hydropower and pumped storage systems with the electric grid by— - (A) improving methods for operational forecasting of renewable energy systems to identify opportunities for hydropower applications in pumped storage and hybrid energy systems, including forecasting of seasonal and annual energy storage; - (B) considering aggregating small distributed hydropower assets; and - (C) identifying barriers to grid scale implementation of hydropower and pumped storage technologies; - (11) improve computational fluid dynamic modeling methods; - (12) improve flow measurement methods, including maintenance of continuous flow measurement equipment; - (13) identify best methods for compiling data on all hydropower resources and assets, including identifying potential for increased capacity; and - (14) identify mechanisms to test and validate performance of hydropower and pumped storage technologies. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 634, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title III, § 3001(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2480.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Prior Provisions A prior section 17213, Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 634, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1687, related to National Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Centers, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 116–260.