Edit Organization: Federal Hydropower Coordinating Committee

Free text:

'''Federal Hydropower Coordinating Committee (FHCC)''' is a collaborative body established to streamline federal efforts in managing and advancing hydropower across U.S. government agencies, focusing on the nation’s 2,500+ federal hydropower facilities operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, USACE, and power marketing administrations like Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Formed under a 2020 MOU, it drives interagency cooperation to enhance generation efficiency, modernize infrastructure, and integrate renewable energy goals while addressing environmental and safety priorities. {{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/federal-hydropower-memorandum-understanding}} ==Mission== The FHCC’s mission is to foster a unified federal approach to hydropower by coordinating the expertise of DOE, DOI, and USACE to accelerate technology innovation, improve operational efficiency at federal dams, and ensure environmental sustainability. It supports America’s clean energy transition by leveraging hydropower’s 28 GW of installed capacity (as of 2021) and promoting research into low-impact technologies and stakeholder-inclusive decision-making.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/5.%20FHC%20Update%20041321%20%281%29.pdf |title=FHC Update April 13, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==Parent organization== The FHCC is chaired by the [[Department of Energy]], which leads its strategic direction and hosts its primary coordination efforts through the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). The [[Department of Energy]] serves as its top organization, aligning FHCC activities with national energy policy objectives.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/federal-hydropower-memorandum-understanding |title=Federal Hydropower Memorandum of Understanding |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==Legislation== The FHCC was created through the [https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2020/10/f80/FinalSignedHydropowerMOU_2020.pdf Memorandum of Understanding on Federal Hydropower] signed on October 14, 2020, by DOE, DOI, and USACE, building on prior MOUs from 2000, 2005, and 2010. ==Partners== The FHCC includes: * [[Department of Energy]] (chair) * [[Department of the Interior]] (Bureau of Reclamation) * [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] * Power Marketing Administrations (e.g., [[Bonneville Power Administration]]) for marketing hydropower<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/5.%20FHC%20Update%20041321%20%281%29.pdf |title=FHC Update April 13, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==Number of employees== The FHCC does not have dedicated employees but draws staff from its member agencies—DOE, DOI, and USACE—totaling thousands across these organizations, though specific FHCC contributors are not quantified. ==Organization structure== The FHCC operates as a coordinating committee with representatives from its signatory agencies, structured around joint goals like technology deployment and stakeholder engagement, with no formal sub-organizations but working groups as needed. ===Leader=== The FHCC is overseen by a [[Chair]], typically a senior DOE official (e.g., Jennifer Garson, Acting Director of WPTO in 2021), rotating or designated based on agency leadership.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/5.%20FHC%20Update%20041321%20%281%29.pdf |title=FHC Update April 13, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ===Divisions=== The committee’s efforts are organized by agency roles: * DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office leads R&D. * DOI’s Bureau of Reclamation manages western dam operations. * USACE oversees nationwide hydropower infrastructure. ==List of programs== Key FHCC initiatives include: * Hydropower Technology R&D for modernization * Federal Hydropower Summit for stakeholder collaboration * Environmental Mitigation Projects to enhance sustainability ==Last total enacted budget== No specific budget is allocated to the FHCC itself; funding is drawn from agency budgets, e.g., DOE’s $186 million for WPTO in FY 2021, part of which supports FHCC hydropower activities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/5.%20FHC%20Update%20041321%20%281%29.pdf |title=FHC Update April 13, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==Staff== Staffing is provided by DOE, DOI, and USACE personnel, with no distinct FHCC headcount; contributors include engineers, policy experts, and program managers from these agencies’ hydropower divisions. ==Funding== Funding is sourced from annual appropriations to DOE, DOI, and USACE, with hydropower efforts like FHCC supported by line items such as DOE’s $186 million WPTO budget in FY 2021 and unspecified portions of USACE and Reclamation budgets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/federal-hydropower-memorandum-understanding |title=Federal Hydropower MOU |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==Services provided== The FHCC facilitates interagency hydropower research, coordinates dam safety upgrades, supports environmental mitigation at federal facilities, and hosts forums like the Federal Hydropower Summit to align agency and stakeholder goals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/5.%20FHC%20Update%20041321%20%281%29.pdf |title=FHC Update April 13, 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==Regulations overseen== The FHCC does not oversee regulations directly but influences policy through its member agencies, which administer rules like USACE’s dam safety standards and Reclamation’s operational guidelines. ==Headquarters address== 1000 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20585, USA ==History== The FHCC builds on a history of federal hydropower coordination, with MOUs in 2000, 2005, and 2010 preceding the current 2020 MOU signed on October 14, 2020. It emerged from efforts to unify DOE’s R&D, DOI’s western hydropower operations, and USACE’s nationwide dam management, reflecting a renewed focus on hydropower’s role in clean energy post-COVID recovery.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/federal-hydropower-memorandum-understanding |title=Federal Hydropower MOU |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> ==External links== * [https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/federal-hydropower-memorandum-understanding Official Website] * [[wikipedia:United_States_Department_of_Energy]] * [https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/5.%20FHC%20Update%20041321%20%281%29.pdf FHCC Update April 2021] * [https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Hydropower/ USACE Hydropower] ==References== <references />