The Energy Department says it has up to $5 million available this year to assess opportunities to increase power production at up to 40 existing hydropower facilities around the nation.
The agency says the grants, under its Hydropower Advancement Project, could push improvements at hydro plants, where much of the infrastructure is more than 50 years old.
The grant program was announced the same day that the department said hydro generation in the U.S. could be raised more than 12 GW if existing dams and other structures that are not producing electricity were harnessed.
