Bree Wilson
Rye Development

Mike Manwaring
Stantec

Surabhi Karambelkar
Low Impact Hydropower Institute

DESCRIPTION

There are close to 20GW of Pump Storage Hydro operating in the US today and most of these units have drastically changed their day-to-day operations to enable intermittent renewables such as wind and solar.  With more wind and solar generation being planned, it only makes sense to add more environmentally friendly Pump Storage Hydro, the only renewable utility-scale storage solution.  Unfortunately, hurdles still exist for building these water batteries and this panel will explore these and what the industry can do to unlock the wave of new Pump Storage Hydro.

Moderator:
Matt Pevarnik, GE Vernova

Panelists:

• Bree Wilson, Vice President of Development, Rye Development
• Mike Manwaring, Regional Sector Lead, Energy, Stantec
• Surabhi Karambelkar, Policy Director, Low Impact Hydropower Institute

Speaker Bios:

• Surabhi Karambelkar is the Policy Director of the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI), a national non-profit dedicated to supporting hydropower projects that prioritize environmental, recreational, historical, and cultural resource protection. Surabhi works through the policy process to drive compliance and voluntary energy markets towards prioritizing and incentivizing Low Impact Certified® hydropower projects that can deliver benefits to local ecosystems and communities. Surabhi is a seasoned advocate on water-energy and public interest issues. Surabhi has successfully advocated for energy and climate policies, including renewable portfolio standards that advance socio-environmentally responsible hydropower, as well as utility policies related to bill affordability, access to high-speed broadband for low-income communities, and eliminating digital discrimination. Prior to joining LIHI, Surabhi spearheaded the CWP Policy Section of the Public Advocates Office at the California Public Utilities Commission and has worked on water and energy projects in Latin America and South Asia. She holds a PhD from the University of Arizona and an MSc from University College London.
• Mike Manwaring serves as Stantec’s Western U.S. Sector Lead for Energy Projects and has over 25-years of technical experience in the power and water infrastructure industry. He is a recognized expert on new pumped storage hydropower (PSH) developments, working on the planning and design of over 30 PSH project across North America, ranging from 5 MWs to over 1,300 MWs. Mike has a deep understanding of hydropower and water resource projects, with a specific focus on strategic planning, permitting, geotechnical assessment, and engineering design of new PSH and hydropower projects. He has supported the hydropower and energy storage industry for over a decade, and currently serves as Chair of NHA’s Pumped Storage Development Council.
• Bree Wilson is a Professional Civil Engineer and PMP and has spent much of her career working in leadership roles within the hydropower industry. Her experience spans significant positions at the US Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric Design Center, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Port of Vancouver, and HDR, focusing on a wide range of conventional hydropower projects. Bree is driven by the urgent need to add energy storage to the grid to meet the increasing demand for renewable energy.