DOE awards $5.5 million to streamline hydropower permitting
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) awarded $5.5 million in total funding to 11 U.S. National Laboratory projects. This funding will expedite and reduce the cost of licensing and relicensing American hydropower facilities. The lab call, issued earlier in 2026, focused on projects that would shorten the time stakeholders take to reach consensus on a given project.
“For over 100 years, hydropower has been a pillar of American energy, supplying reliable, affordable power across the nation,” said H2O Director Nichole Fitzgerald. “The projects selected today will not only help ensure the continued operation of America’s hydropower plants but also keep permitting and relicensing costs down for operators so they can pass those saving along to ratepayers.”
