Introducing the POWER our Reservoirs Act to Advance Clean Energy and Drought Protection

The POWER our Reservoirs Act, a bill introduced by Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and Jared Huffman (D-CA), aims to harness the potential of floating solar panels on federal water reservoirs. This innovative approach seeks to expand domestic renewable energy production while protecting threatened water systems from evaporation and harmful algal blooms. The legislation calls for a study by key federal agencies to explore opportunities for deploying floating solar panels on more than 24,000 human-made reservoirs across the country.

Key Takeaways:

• The POWER our Reservoirs Act seeks to deploy floating solar panels on federal water reservoirs to advance clean energy production and drought protection.
• A 2018 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that deploying floating solar on human-made reservoirs could save 2.1 million hectares of land and meet 10 percent of the country's electricity needs.
• The legislation requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to study the feasibility of deploying floating solar panels on their reservoirs.
• Representative Paul Tonko has championed local projects, including securing $3 million for the City of Cohoes to install floating solar panels on the Cohoes reservoir.
• The bill aims to reduce the impact of climate change and historic drought by driving the nation towards a more sustainable future.
• Tonko believes this legislation will tackle the dual crises of climate change and drought, driving the nation towards a more sustainable future.
• Representative Huffman states that the region is grappling with the compounding crisis of extreme drought driven by climate change, and this legislation is a creative, sustainable answer to mitigate its impacts.
• The bill will fund pilot programs at USACE and BOR to build floating solar panels on suitable reservoirs.
• Renewable energy from floating solar panels is to be considered as part of the USACE's annual Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan.

Statistics:

• 24,000: The number of human-made reservoirs in the United States where floating solar panels could be deployed.
• 2.1 million hectares: The land area that could be saved by deploying floating solar panels on human-made reservoirs.
• 10 percent: The percentage of the country's electricity needs that could be met by deploying floating solar panels on human-made reservoirs.
• $3 million: The amount secured by Representative Tonko to support the installation of floating solar panels on the Cohoes reservoir.
• 2022: The year in which the POWER our Reservoirs Act was introduced.

Sources:

• Washington: Office of the MP Paul Tonko, 2022