PUC Commissioner Yanora: Supporting Integration Of Hydropower In Water, Wastewater, Stormwater Systems Serves Public Interest

Following the adoption of a National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners resolution sponsored by Public Utility Commission Commissioner Ralph V. Yanora, the conversation continues to urge states to support and facilitate the integration of hydropower as a part of water/wastewater/stormwater facilities development, maintenance and expansion. 

The resolution was unanimously adopted during NARUC’s annual summer policy summit following approval by the NARUC Committee on Water, where Yanora serves as co-vice chairman. 

The NARUC resolution urges state and federal cooperation to include and fund these reliable distributed generation resources as a part of the United States’ overall response to planned increases in energy demand and grid reliability.

In a recent article published by the National Hydropower Association, Commissioner Yanora said that “meeting the multi-faceted challenges of our times – utility resiliency, low-or-no carbon generation, and affordability among them –will require that we make use of the benefits low-impact hydropower can provide.  

Through the resolution, NARUC is working to ensure that our nation utilizes the full capacity of its existing utility infrastructure to meet these challenges.”

Earlier this year, Commissioner Yanora led a panel discussion at the annual NARUC winter policy summit, and was joined by leaders from Pennsylvania utilities, state and federal officials, and industry experts to discuss whether retrofitting hydropower to existing water infrastructure can help improve generation, grid management, and electric system resiliency.

In July, Commissioner Yanora toured the hydro turbine power facilities at the Pennsylvania American Water Company Nesbitt water treatment plant in Scranton, where 75% of the plant’s electric costs are covered by zero-carbon renewable hydropower.

As a key part of the resolution, NARUC is recommending that states be provided with maximum flexibility to support the development of hydropower in water, wastewater and stormwater systems as the U.S. Department of Energy and other cooperating federal agencies determine appropriate distribution of funding – noting that the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 is providing approximately $50 billion for infrastructure and renewable energy projects.

In summary, Commissioner Yanora described this concept as a win for everyone: “By taking full advantage of this unique opportunity to incorporate zero-emission hydropower as water and wastewater systems are improved and expanded, we can help promote more reliable service, stabilize rates for consumers, and lower carbon emissions for states and the country as a whole.”

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[Posted: September 7, 2023]  PA Environment Digest