Small Hydro Program

In September 1980, the Small-Hydro Outreach Program was established by the US Department of Energy and the California Department of Water Resources to promote and encourage the development of small hydroelectric power projects as a renewable energy resource in California. Projects at existing hydraulic structures were particularly emphasized since they have less potential for adverse effect on the environment. Before the outreach program was established, the task force had compiled a list of potential hydro facilities at existing hydraulic structures. The efforts of the outreach program were first aimed at informing the owners of the potential and development procedures for their sites. When the small hydro rush snowballed in the Spring of 1981, numerous requests for information on small hydro development on free flowing streams where no diversions or hydraulic structures existed were received. The outreach program was modified at that time to consider small hydro projects at both undeveloped and developed sites. The main accomplishments of the outreach program have been the publication of Small-Scale Hydro News, conducting a Small-Scale Hydro Workshop and the distribution of bulletins, reports, and pamphlets to reach over 3000 persons interested in small hydro development.

This is a collection of conference papers on small hydro renewable energy, covering such topics as: resource assessment and planning; design and construction; and plant and equipment.