DESCRIPTION

Are you ready to maximize your hydro operations and secure funding for your next big project? This is your opportunity to gain actionable insights from industry leaders and discover exclusive funding opportunities tailored to small hydro owners, suppliers, and vendors.  

 Why This Workshop is a Must-Attend:  
- Expert Insights on Turbine Maintenance: Learn strategies to reduce downtime and improve efficiency from Voith’s Albin Atzmeuller.  
- Funding to Fuel Your Growth: Access DOE programs, Section 247 incentives, and USACE low-interest loans to power your next project.  
- Keep Operations Safe and Compliant: HDR’s Sharon Roach shares best practices to enhance public safety around your facilities.  
- Network with Industry Leaders: Collaborate with peers and experts to spark new ideas and partnerships.  

📅 Event Details  
Monday, February 24, 2025  
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM  
Location: Hyatt Regency Downtown Seattle, WA

Don’t Miss Out—Register Now
Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today! 

Moderators: 
Fred Noland, Idaho Power and Jeanne Finger, City of Spokane

Schedule

9:30- Welcome, networking, and idea generation

10:00- As the Turbine Turns – maintenance considerations for different turbines. Albin Atzmeuller, Voith

10:30- External Infrastructure Maintenance – Project examples. Christian Annexy, Ballard Marine

10:50- Public Safety Around Facilities- Sharon Roach, HDR Inc. 

11:10-11:20- Break

11:20- DOE Funding Opportunities for Small Hydro- Colin Sasthav, Department of Energy

11:40- DOE Grid Deployment Office Funding Opportunities- Section 247 and Other Hydro Incentives- Jeff Leahey, SMI

12:00- Funding for Rehab and Upgrades- Low Interest Loans- Nate Campbell, US Army Corps of Engineers

12:20- Wrap up and Adjourn

 

Speaker Bios:

Colin Sasthav

Colin Sasthav is a Technology Manager for the Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office. He earned his PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee Knoxville where he studied how to reduce costs and improve environmental performance for small hydropower. Now he manages a portfolio of hydropower research and development initiatives focusing on small hydropower development, advanced materials and manufacturing, and innovation testing with the goal of getting sustainable hydropower technologies in the water.

Albin Atzmueller

Albin Atzmueller holds a MS in Economics from University of Innsbruck, Austria and a BS in Economics from Linnaeus University, Sweden. He has been with Voith Hydro for over 7 years and works in North America as a Small Hydro Concept Specialist, offering services for conventional small hydro power plants, StreamDiver low-head turbines, and modernizations. Appointed as Product Owner of the StreamDiver within Voith Hydro, he specializes in developing state-of-the-art concepts using the StreamDiver technology. Previously, he worked globally as Area Sales Manager in the Division of Small Hydro VHGE, Austria with market responsibilities in the Caucasus region and SE Asia.

Jeff Leahey

Jeff Leahey, Vice President, has worked in Washington, D.C. for 25 years. He is an experienced government affairs professional with an extensive policy background in energy, the environment, and natural resources

Prior to joining SMI, Jeff served as the Executive Vice President for Governmental Affairs at the National Hydropower Association (NHA), representing the association before Congress, the Administration, and federal agencies on various matters, including climate and clean energy policy, renewable energy and energy storage tax and other incentives, research and development funding, and many others. Jeff has testified before Congress, drafted legislative policy, and developed comments on regulatory and administrative proposals. He has also developed and implemented successful lobbying campaigns, led complex policy negotiations, and overseen public affairs messaging initiatives.

Jeff holds a B.A. in Biology and Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. He also serves as a Board Member of NHA and as the current Board Chair of the National Energy Resources Organization (NERO).

Nate Campbell

Mr. Nate Campbell is the Senior Portfolio Manager for the U.S. Army Corps Water infrastructure Financing Program. Nathan has assisted with the development of the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program since 2022 and will lead post close loan management for water resources infrastructure projects across the US.

Nate began his Federal career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory program in the St. Paul District and later joined the St. Paul District Civil Works program as a Project and Program Manager heading execution of numerous Corps authorities.  

He holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Wisconsin Lacrosse and a Master of Science in Water Resources Science from the University of Minnesota.

Ballard Marine

Ballard Marine Construction (Ballard) has been working in the heavy civil marine construction industry since the 1970s; provided turnkey infrastructure inspection, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance solutions on projects worldwide since our inception. Ballard has always taken an innovative approach to providing highly technical heavy civil marine and underwater solutions to our local, national, and international clients in the power, transportation, environmental, water and wastewater, and industrial industries.

Sharon Roach

Sharon is a licensed civil engineer* specializing in dam safety regulations, operations, maintenance, and inspections. She has worked as a project engineer and regulator for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the San Francisco Regional Office (SFRO) and worked her way up to the chief dam safety engineer over her career working for two dam-owning public utilities. Sharon writes and audits Owners Dam Safety Programs (ODSP); facilitates PFMA/SQRAs; performs FERC physical security assessments and writes plans; develops and facilitates Emergency Action Plan (EAP) exercises; develops and assesses public safety plans (PSP); collects, aggregates, and interprets instrumentation data for Dam Safety and Surveillance Monitoring Reports (DSSMR); and serves as a project manager on various-sized projects. She is a FERC approved Chief Dam Safety Engineer, PFMA/SQRA facilitator and ODSP Auditor.