Avista to receive federal funding for Columbia River hydropower [Video]

SPOKANE, Wash. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will award Avista Utilities more than $1 million for evaluation of flexibility of a series of hydropower facilities along the Columbia River. 

The funding for Avista is among nine research and development projects receiving nearly $15 million in total supporting the increase of hydropower’s ability to respond to changing demand on the electric grid. 

The DOE says the ability to operate flexibly allows hydropower facilities to help balance electricity grids with an increasing amount of variable renewable resources such as wind energy and solar power, ensuring communities have power when they need it.

Avista will receive $1,492,092 for its study that will identify opportunities to coordinate operations among the Columbia River facilities and expected economic and …