86°F
weather icon Clear

New agreement boosts hydropower, supports energy production

Several government agencies recently solidified their commitment to provide reliable hydropower to support the electrical systems in the nation.

On Monday, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel R. Simmons and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (civil works) Ryan Fisher signed a memorandum of understanding committing their agencies to work together to make clean hydropower for the generations to come and invest in its future workforce.

Simmons said an important part of the agreement was investing in hydropower workers.

“We always need to have a new, upcoming workforce to work on hydropower,” he said.

Burman said Hoover Dam showed the country what human ingenuity can do, but in the 21st century “we need to continue to invest in resources.”

“We work together all of the time to make sure our resources are the best we can be,” she said.

“This MOU is about collaboration as much as it’s about hydropower,” Fisher said.

During the ceremony they also discussed the top priorities for hydropower and how the pandemic has affected them.

Fisher said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still working on modernizing the infrastructure of facilities. One issue the agency has had is obtaining public input on projects. Because of gathering limitations due to the pandemic, public input events have moved online.

“We’re not losing any time,” he said. “It’s just a different environment.”

Burman said other priorities include maximizing the value of hydropower and being cost-effective with it. Additionally, she noted that throughout the pandemic there has not been any stoppage of water.

“When the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing … hydropower is there,” she added.

Simmons said some of the Department of Energy’s research has slowed down because it has to limit the number of people on site at laboratories, but the production of power has gone “very well.”

Hydropower Memorandum of Understanding by Boulder City Review on Scribd

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Kicking Off the New Year

Boulder City High School held its traditional back-to-school assembly this past Friday. School spirit and enthusiasm filled the gym as classes competed against one another to hold the coveted Spirit Stick. Aside from games, members of the fall sports teams performed to songs.

BC Electric’s Medo makes accusations about e-bike/scooter law

While the great majority of public comment surrounding the issues of unsafe usage — often by juveniles — of e-bikes and electric scooters was firmly on the side of the city “doing something,” not everyone is onboard.

So where does that RDA money come from?

It wasn’t all about donuts or whether super bright pink is an appropriate color for a building in the historic district. In addition to donuts it was about, well, dollars.

King to participate in essay contest

Last week, it was announced that fourth graders throughout the state are invited to participate in an essay contest, with the winner receiving the honor of lighting the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.

Really better buy that helmet

With a couple of significant amendments, the city council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance regulating the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in Boulder City. The ordinance passed unanimously Tuesday and will take effect on Sept. 18.

Nevada Way to go Pink … and pay for the privilege

The main topic of discussion was color. As in color of a building when the board of the Boulder City Redevelopment Agency (aka the city council) met two weeks ago.

It’s Been Too Long

Photos by Ron Eland/Boulder City Review

City to nix admin services dept. in favor of deputy city manager

In a move that is really little more than “cleanup” (i.e., bringing official city code into sync with decisions made by the city council more than a year ago), the council voted to approve changes to city code related to the created-but-not-yet-filled position of deputy city manager.