LAPSE:2018.1176
Published Article
LAPSE:2018.1176
The Regulatory Noose: Logan City’s Adventures in Micro-Hydropower
Megan Hansen, Randy T. Simmons, Ryan M. Yonk
December 3, 2018
Recent growth in the renewable energy industry has increased government support for alternative energy. In the United States, hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy and also one of the most efficient. Currently, there are 30,000 megawatts of potential energy capacity through small- and micro-hydro projects throughout the United States. Increased development of micro-hydro could double America’s hydropower energy generation, but micro-hydro is not being developed at the same rate as other renewable sources. Micro-hydro is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and subject to the same regulation as large hydroelectric projects despite its minimal environmental impact. We studied two cases of micro-hydro projects in Logan, Utah, and Afton, Wyoming, which are both small rural communities. Both cases showed that the web of federal regulation is likely discouraging the development of micro-hydro in the United States by increasing the costs in time and funds for developers. Federal environmental regulation like the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and others are likely discouraging the development of clean renewable energy through micro-hydro technology.
Keywords
hydropower, micro-hydropower, regulation, Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Suggested Citation
Hansen M, Simmons RT, Yonk RM. The Regulatory Noose: Logan City’s Adventures in Micro-Hydropower. (2018). LAPSE:2018.1176
Author Affiliations
Hansen M: Department of Economics and Finance, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Simmons RT: Department of Economics and Finance, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Yonk RM: Department of Economics and Finance, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA [ORCID]
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Journal Name
Energies
Volume
9
Issue
7
Article Number
E482
Year
2016
Publication Date
2016-06-23
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
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PII: en9070482, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2018.1176
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doi:10.3390/en9070482
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Dec 3, 2018
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CC BY 4.0
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Dec 3, 2018
 
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Calvin Tsay
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