Idaho’s Water Energy Resources

and Hydroelectric Potential

Idaho’s Water Energy Resources

and Hydroelectric Potential

Douglas G. Hall, Program ManagerINL Hydropower Program

August 2006

2

Topics

• Idaho electricity state of the state– Energy sources, production, and consumption– Hydroelectric plants and generation

• Basic natural stream resource assessment– Resource spatial distribution– Resource gross power potential

• Feasibility assessment– Feasible potential projects– Project realistic power potential

• Development opportunities & costs

• Virtual Hydropower Prospector – a GIS application– Water energy resource site & feasible project locator– Preliminary feasibility assessment tool

3

Idaho

Electricity State of the State

Idaho

Electricity State of the State

4

Idaho Electricity State of the State

• Electricity consumption*: 21 billion kilowatthours

• Electricity production*: 10 billion kilowatthours

• Electricity Sources*:

• Trends by source*:(1993-2002)

• Average 2004 retail price** of electricity: 5¢/kWh

(2nd lowest in the nation)

Natural Gas3%

Other Renewables

5%

Other1%

Coal1%

Hydroelectric90%

Coal 10% Other

2%

Natural Gas, 9%

Other Renew ables

-1%

Hydroelectric -1%

Petroleum -19%

-30%

-25%

-20%

-15%

-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

An

nau

l Gro

wth

Rat

e

* EIA, State Energy Profiles 2002** EIA, Electric Power Annual 2004

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Idaho Hydroelectric Plants• Hydroelectric plants: 136

• Total plant capacity: 2,468 MW

• Total annual average power: 1,300 MWa

• Average annual generation: 11 billion kilowatthours

• Plant ownership:

• Capacity ownership:

Private Utility27

20%

Non-Federal Public

1410%

Industrial7

5%

Federal7

5%

Cooperative3

2%

Private Non-Utility

7857%

Industrial<1 MW

<1%

Non-Federal Public

159 MW6%

Federal678 MW

27%

Cooperative12 MW

<1%

Private Non-Utility

224 MW9%

Private Utility1,393 MW

56%

136 Plants

2,468 MW

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Idaho’s hydroelectric plants

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61 hydroelectric plants within 50 mi. of Twin Falls, ID

Milner: 59 MW

Birch Ck: 30 kW

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Idaho’s Natural Stream Idaho’s Natural Stream Water Energy ResourcesWater Energy ResourcesIdaho’s Natural Stream Idaho’s Natural Stream

Water Energy ResourcesWater Energy Resources

9

Hydropower 101

Capacity – the maximum plant power rating (MW)

Annual Average Power – average rate at which electricity is generated during a year (MWa)

Power ≈ hydraulic head x water flow rate

Generation (MWh) = capacity factor x capacity x 8760hrs

OR

Generation (MWh) = annual average power x 8760hrs

Typical capacity factor = 0.5

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State gross power potential to feasible hydropower potential

Total Gross Power Potential19,000 MWa

Excluded power & Developed power

subtracted

Feasibility Criteriaapplied

“Available” Gross Power Potential10,000 MWa

Feasible Gross Power Potential7,000 MWa

Development Criteria applied

Feasible Hydropower Potential2,000 MWa

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Assessment methodology• Power potential of every stream reach in the

state estimated– Reach hydraulic heads (elevation difference start to

finish) provided by digital elevation models– Reach annual mean flow rates estimated using

regression equations based on stream gages– Combination of reach hydraulic head and flow rate

yields gross power potential

• Zones where development unlikely identified using GIS– Federal exclusion zones– Environmental exclusion zones

• Developed reaches identified by matching existing plants and reaches using GIS

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Gross power potential by state and power category

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

Delaw

are

Rhode

Isla

nd

North D

akota

New J

erse

y

Connec

ticut

Florid

a

Mas

sachus

etts

Mar

ylan

d

South D

akot

a

Kansa

s

New H

amps

hire

Mic

higanIo

wa

Nebra

ska

Verm

ont

Nevad

a

South C

arol

ina

India

naO

hio

Okl

ahom

a

Min

nesota

Wis

consi

n

New M

exic

o

Geo

rgia

Hawai

i

Virgin

ia

Texas

Illin

ois

North C

arolin

a

Mai

ne

Mis

sissi

ppi

Louisi

ana

Alabam

a

Arizona

Mis

souri

West

Virg

inia

Kentu

ckyUta

h

Pennsy

lvani

a

New Y

ork

Tenne

ssee

Arkan

sas

Wyom

ing

Colora

do

Monta

na

Ore

gonId

aho

Califo

rnia

Wash

ingto

n

An

nu

al M

ean

Po

wer

(M

Wa)

Feasible

Other Available

Excluded

Developed

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

Alaska

An

nu

al M

ea

n P

ow

er

(M

Wa

)

4th in the Nation

Idaho19,000 MWa

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Power category distribution of Idaho water energy resources

Total Resource Potential19,088 MWa

Excluded Potential7,540 MWa

40%

Developed Potential1,442 MWa

8%

Available Potential10,105 MWa

53%

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Feasibility Assessment – Feasibility Assessment – Feasible Power PotentialFeasible Power PotentialFeasibility Assessment – Feasibility Assessment – Feasible Power PotentialFeasible Power Potential

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Feasibility criteria

• Not previously developed

• Development not improbable– Not in federal exclusion zone– Not in environmental exclusion zone

• Site assessibility – within 1 mile of a road

• Load or tranmission proximity– Within 1 mile of either OR

• Power line• Substation • Power plant

Within the 90th percentile of distances of hydro plants in the same power class to a city or populated area boundary in the hydrologic region

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Site development configurations

Tazimina ProjectAlaska

Artist’s Conception of Canal Offtake Project

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Environmental benefits & desirable features• Emissions-free generation

• Power predicability

• New dam not required

• Reservoir is not created

• Main stream channel is not obstructed

• Small plant footprint

• Minimal visual impact

• Long plant life (30 to 50yrs or more)

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Project development criteria• Working stream flow – the lesser of:

– Half the reach flow rateOR

– Sufficient flow rate to produce 30 MW

• Working hydraulic head – penstock length– Upper limit set by existing projects

– Search algorithm found optimal location for minimum length penstock to capture maximum hydraulic head

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Feasible hydropower potential by state and power category

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

Delaw

are

Rhode

Isla

nd

North D

akota

New J

erse

y

Florid

a

Mar

ylan

d

Nevad

a

Connec

ticut

South D

akot

a

Mic

higan

Mas

sachus

etts

Min

nesota

Arizona

New M

exic

o

New H

amps

hire

South C

arol

ina

Verm

ont

Geo

rgia

Wis

consi

n

Hawai

i

Kansa

s

Mis

sissi

ppi

India

na

Louisi

anaO

hio

TexasIo

wa

Okl

ahom

a

North C

arolin

a

Nebra

skaUta

h

Virgin

ia

Mai

ne

Alabam

a

West

Virg

inia

Wyom

ing

Kentu

cky

Illin

ois

Arkan

sas

Tenne

ssee

New Y

ork

Mis

souri

Colora

do

Pennsy

lvani

a

Monta

na

Ore

gonId

aho

Alask

a

Wash

ingto

n

Califo

rnia

An

nu

al M

ean

Po

wer

(M

Wa)

Small Hydro

Low Power4th in the Nation

Idaho2,122 MWa

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Idaho potential projects by power & technology classes

• Feasible projects having hydropower potential ≥ 10 kW

6,700 potential projectsFeasible hydropower potential: 2,000 MWa

Total Feasible Projects 6,699

Unconventional Systems

1392%

Microhydro4,58868%

Conventional Turbines

1,56323%

Small Hydro4096%

Total Feasible Project Hydropower Potential 2,122 MWa

Microhydro173 MWa

8%

Unconventional Systems44 MWa

2%

Conventional Turbines390 MWa

18%

Small Hydro1,515 MWa

71%

Small hydro: >1 MW & 30 MW

Low power: < 1 MW

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Idaho’s low power & small hydro potential projects

Power ClassPower

Potential(MWa)

Total Potential 2,122Small Hydro 1,515Low Power 607

Conventional Turbines 390Unconventional Systems 44Microhydro 173

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Idaho hydroelectric growth potential from new low power and small hydro plants

Current Total Average Power

1,300 MWa

Potential Small Hydro1,515 MWa

Potential Low Power607 MWa

Current Annual Hydroelectric Generation

11 x 109 kWh

Annual Hydroelectric Generation w/ New Small Hydro

24 x 109 kWh

Annual Hydroelectric Generation w/ New Low Power & Small Hydro

30 x 109 kWh

Idaho Annual Consumption21 x 109 kWh

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

Ave

rag

e P

ow

er (

MW

a)

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Opportunities & CostsOpportunities & CostsOpportunities & CostsOpportunities & Costs

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Powerhouse additions to existing dams – possibly low hanging fruit

Minimal additional environmental impact

Less time and cost to license

Lower unit development cost ($/kW)

396 Dams136 Hydroeletric

Plants =260 Potential Powerhouse

Additions–

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Estimated development costs for three types of capacity increase opportunities

• INL developed cost estimating tools based on historical cost data

• Cost estimating tools applied to Idaho capacity increase opportunties > 1 MW assessed in 1990’s

Type of SiteNumber

ofProjects

Total Capacity(MW)

Median Unit CostTo Develop

Sites(2002$/kW)

Median Unit CostTo Develop

Site Capacity(2002$/kW)

Undeveloped site 74 1,264 $3,831 $2,791

Powerhouse Addition to Existing Dam

51 518 $2,063 $1,370

Capacity Increase at Existing Hydroelectric Plant

7 726 $1,265 $469

All 132 2,509 $2,894 $2,523

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More Idaho water energy resources

• Natural stream locations for hydrokinetic technologies

• Constructed waterways – canals & aquaducts

• Municipal water supply systems

• Effluent streams– Water treatment plants– Power plants– Industrial plants

Unassessed

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Virtual Hydropower Prospector

Virtual Hydropower Prospector

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• Geographic Information System (GIS) tool on the Internet

• Idaho National Laboratory developed and served (http://hydropower.inl.gov/prospector/)

• No special software or licenses required to use

• Displays 500,000 water energy resource sites and 130,000 feasible project sites throughout the U.S.

• Displays context features needed to perform preliminary feasibility assessments

• Provides tools for locating and selecting features of interest

• Goes beyond geographic location and provides attribute information about selected features

Virtual Hydropower Prospector

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Region Selector

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VHP Desktop

Legend

Thumbnail Map

Information Window

Toolbar

Map View

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Features displayed

• Water energy features– Water energy resource

sites (500,000 sites)– Feasible potential projects

(130,000 sites)

• Hydrography (5 feature sets)

• Power system– Hydro plants– Other plants– Power lines– Substations

• Transporation– Roads– Railroads

• Areas & places– Cities– Populated areas– County boundaries– State boundaries– Hydrologic region

boundaries

• Land Use– Excluded areas

• Federally designated• Environmentally sensitive

– Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)– Bureau of Land Management (BLM)– Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)– Department of Defense (DOD)– U.S. Forest Service (FS)– U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)– U.S. National Park Service (NP)

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Conclusions• Idaho has a history of hydroelectric generation which

now allows it to enjoy the among the lowest electricity rates in the country

• Over 50% of the Idaho’s water energy resources have not been developed and are not in development exclusion zones

• Idaho could significantly increase hydroelectric generation using undeveloped sites, existing dams, equipment upgrades, non-traditional resources, and new technology

• Costs of new hydroelectric plants are competitive considering environmental benefits, attractive features, and long life

• Virtual Hydropower Prospector provides all hydropower stakeholders with a tool to evaluate new hydropower development

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Access to references and VHP• Access: http://hydropower.inl.gov/

• References: (Resource Assessment link)

– Feasibility Assessment of the Water Energy Resources of the United States for New Low Power and Small Hydro Classes of Hydroelectric Plants, DOE-ID-11263, January 2006.

– Water Energy Resources of the United States with Emphasis on Low Head/Low Power Resources, DOE/ID-11111, April 2004.

– Estimation of Economic Parameters of U.S. Hydroelectric Resources, INEEL/EXT-03-00662, June 2003.

– U.S. Hydropower Resource Assessment Final Report, DOE/ID-10430.2, December 1998.

• VHP: Virtual Hydropower Prospector link

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Contact

Douglas G. Hall, Program ManagerINL Hydropower Program

Idaho National Laboratory

2525 Fremont Ave.

Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3830

Telephone: 208-526-9525

Email: douglas.hall@inl.gov