WPTO FY24 Hydropower Lab Call

U.S.
Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
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Water Power Technologies OfficeHydropower Program
NATIONAL LABORATORY CALL FOR PROPOSALS

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National Lab Call for Fiscal Year 2024
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This Lab Call is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy (EERE) Water Power Technologies Office( WPTO).
Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov .

Problems with EERE eXCHANGE? Email EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov.
WPTO Hydropower Program Lab Call (DE-LC-0000112).
Table of Contents
I. Lab Call Description.................................................................................................................................3
A. Background and Context....................................................................................................................3
i. Overview and Purpose......................................................................................................................3
ii. Timeline and Process Logistics.........................................................................................................4
Timeline...........................................................................................................................................4
Process Logistics..............................................................................................................................4
B. Key Considerations and Topic Area(s)................................................................................................5
i. Key Considerations...........................................................................................................................5
ii. Topic Area Descriptions...................................................................................................................7
Topic 1: Modeling Gaps (HydroWIRES)............................................................................................7
Topic 2: Future Grid Strength (HydroWIRES)...................................................................................8
Topic 3: US-Norway Collaboration (HydroWIRES)...........................................................................9
Topic 4: Open Topic (HydroWIRES only)........................................................................................10
Topic 5: Extreme Weather and Climate Events (Hydrologic Systems Science)..............................11
Topic 6: Smart Maintenance Implementation Assistance (Fleet Modernization, Maintenance, &
Cybersecurity)................................................................................................................................14
Topic 7: Federal Hydropower Quick Wins (Program-wide)............................................................17
II. Application Submission and Review Information..................................................................................19
A. Application and Submission Details..................................................................................................19
i. Application Process.........................................................................................................................19
ii. General Proposal Requirements....................................................................................................20
iii. Proposal Content..........................................................................................................................20
Concept Slides...............................................................................................................................20
Full Applications.............................................................................................................................21
Technical Volume.......................................................................................................................22
Resumes....................................................................................................................................24
Letters of Commitment..............................................................................................................24
Summary/Abstract for Public Release.......................................................................................24
Summary Slide...........................................................................................................................25
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation Plan...............................25
Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

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Content and Form of Replies to Reviewer Comments...................................................................27
Treatment of Application Information...........................................................................................28
B. Application Review Details...............................................................................................................28
i. Merit Review and Selection Process...............................................................................................28
ii. Technical Review Criteria...............................................................................................................28
Concept Slides...............................................................................................................................28
Final Applications...........................................................................................................................29
Criteria for Replies to Reviewer Comments...................................................................................30
iii. Selection for Award Negotiation...................................................................................................30
iv. Selection Notification....................................................................................................................30
v. Questions and Agency Contacts.....................................................................................................31
Appendix A: Lab Call Full Application Worksheet for eXCHANGE..............................................................32

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I. Lab Call Description
A. Background and Context
i. Overview and Purpose
EERE National Laboratory Guiding Principles require all offices to pursue a merit review
of direct-funded National Laboratory work. In line with these principles, WPTOis
issuing this lab call for fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024).
Some labs have continuing multi-year projects that have already gone through the
merit review process. These will continue to be reviewed through the annual peer
review process. Labs should work with WPTOproject and program managers to ensure
that ongoing projects are included in the annual operating plans (AOP) to meet AOP
deadlines. This lab call will only pertain to the new topic areas below.
Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a
top priority of the Biden Administration. This lab call will advance the Biden
Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to
“deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to
achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050”1 to the benefit of all
Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science
and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development,
demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and
inclusion of underserved communities.2
The research and development (R&D) activities to be funded under this lab call will
support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation
that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for
climate protection. Specifically, this lab call will
enable innovation in research areas aligned to the WPTO Hy
. In addition, this lab call will emphasize
increasing diversity of research staff, increasing diversity of voices in research design,
and or increasing quantification and emphasis on supporting underserved
communities.
1
Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.
2
The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as
geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of
economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the definition of “equity.” E.O. 13985. For purposes of
this Lab Call, as applicable to geographic communities, applicants can refer to economically distressed
communities identified by the Internal Revenue Service as Qualified Opportunity Zones; communities identified as
disadvantaged or underserved communities by their respective States; communities identified on the Index of
Deep Disadvantage referenced at https://news.umich.edu/new-index-ranks-americas-100-most-disadvantaged-
communities/, and communities that otherwise meet the definition of “underserved communities” stated above.

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ii. Timeline and Process Logistics
Timeline
KEY DATES
Lab Call Release Date: March 8, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET
PROPOSAL DEADLINE AND DECISION DATES1
Concept Paper Submission Deadline(s): April 1, 20245:00 p.m. ET
Encourage/Discourage Notification April 15, 20245:00 p.m. ET
Full Application Submission Deadline(s): May 23, 2024 5:00 p.m. ET
Review Comments Available to Applicants: June 21, 2024 5:00 p.m. ET
Replies to Reviewer Comments Deadline(s): June 26, 2024 5:00 p.m. ET
Expected Decision Date(s): August 1, 2024 5:00 p.m. ET
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dates subject to change
Process Logistics
All communication to WPTOregarding this Lab Call must use
hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov .
· PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS: To apply to this Lab Call, lab personnel must

register (and sign in) with their lab email address and submit application
materials through EERE eXCHANGE. Application materials must be submitted
through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE's online
application portal. Frequently asked questions for this Lab Call and the EERE
Application process can be found at
https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov/FAQ.aspx.
Applicants are responsible for meeting the submission deadlines. DOE strongly
encourages all applicants to submit the required information at least 24 hours
in advance of the submission deadline. Applicants should not wait until the
last minute—internet and data server traffic can be heavy in the last hours
before the submission deadline, which may affect the applicants’ ability to
successfully submit the required information before the deadline.
· QUESTIONS DURING OPEN LAB CALL PERIOD: Specific questions about this Lab
Call should be submitted via e-mail to
hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov. WPTOwill provide answers
related to this Lab Call on EERE eXCHANGE at: https://eere-
eXCHANGE.energy.gov. Please note that you must first select the specific
opportunity number for this Lab Call in order to view the questions and
answers specific to this Lab Call. EERE will attempt to respond to a question
within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer have already been

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posted on the website.
Questions related to the registration process and use of the EERE Exchange
website should be submitted to: EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov. To
ensure fairness for all lab participants, please do not ask individual WPTOstaff
questions directly.
 NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION: When selections are finalized, lab leads will

receive an email from WPTO.
B. Key Considerations and Topic Area(s)

i. Key Considerations
· AVAILABLE FUNDING: There is approximately $13.5M in total funding from
FY24-FY27 available to fund all projects solicited in this Lab Call pending
appropriations, program direction, and go/no-go decision points.
· ELIGIBILITY: All DOE/National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Federally

Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and all National
Laboratories, are eligible to submit proposals as prime awardees, unless
specified otherwise. Proposals that involve more than one laboratory are also
allowed. Only one proposal can be submitted to this Lab Call.
· DIVERSITY, EQUITY, and INCLUSION:

It is the policy of the Biden Administration that:
[T]he Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to
advancing equity3 for all, including people of color and others who have
been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by
persistent poverty and inequality. Affirmatively advancing equity, civil
rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the
whole of our Government. Because advancing equity requires a
systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes,
executive departments and agencies (agencies) must recognize and work
to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers
to equal opportunity.
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The term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals,
including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as
Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other
persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+)
persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by
persistent poverty or inequality. E.O. 13985.

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By advancing equity across the Federal Government, we can create
opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been
historically underserved, which benefits everyone.4
As part of this whole of government approach, this lab call seeks to

encourage the participation of underserved communities and
underrepresented5,6 groups. Applicants are highly encouraged to include
individuals from groups historically underrepresented, in STEM on their
project teams. As part of the application, applicants are required to
describe how diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives will be
incorporated in the project. Specifically, applicants are required to
reference, if available, the existing laboratory Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion Plan and describe within the technical volume the actions the
applicant will take to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment,
support people from underrepresented groups in STEM, advance equity,
and encourage the inclusion of individuals from these groups in the
project; and the extent the project activities will be located in or benefit
underserved communities.
Because a diverse set of voices at the table in research design and

execution has an illustrated impact on innovation, this implementation
strategy for the lab-wide plan will be evaluated as part of the technical
review process.
4
Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government” (Jan. 20, 2021).
5
According to the National Science Foundation’s 2019 report titled, “Women, Minorities and Persons with
Disabilities in Science and Engineering”, women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minority groups
—blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives—are vastly
underrepresented in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields that drive the energy sector.
That is, their representation in STEM education and STEM employment is smaller than their representation in the
U.S. population. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/digest/about-this-report For example, in the U.S., Hispanics,
African Americans and American Indians or Alaska Natives make up 24 percent of the overall workforce, yet only
account for 9 percent of the country’s science and engineering workforce. DOE seeks to inspire underrepresented
Americans to pursue careers in energy and support their advancement into leadership positions.
https://www.energy.gov/articles/introducing-minorities-energy-initiative
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Note that Congress recognized in section 305 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017, Public
Law 114-329:
(1) [I]t is critical to our Nation’s economic leadership and global competitiveness that the United States
educate, train, and retain more scientists, engineers, and computer scientists; (2) there is currently a
disconnect between the availability of and growing demand for STEM-skilled workers; (3) historically,
underrepresented populations are the largest untapped STEM talent pools in the United States; and (4)
given the shifting demographic landscape, the United States should encourage full participation of
individuals from underrepresented populations in STEM fields.

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Further, to the extent the proposed project will include external partners,
the applicant is encouraged to include Minority Serving Institutions 7,
Minority Business Enterprises, Minority Owned Businesses, Woman
Owned Businesses, Veteran Owned Businesses, or entities located in an
underserved community. The Selection Official may consider the
inclusion of these types of entities as part of the selection decision.
· EERE NATIONAL LABORATORY GUIDING PRINCIPLES: To ensure continued

alignment with EERE lab engagement principles, applicants should consider the
following when developing their proposals:
o WPTOencourages projects that involve two or more labs.
o To the extent possible and appropriate, WPTOseeks lab projects that
involve industry engagement or industry partners.
ii. Topic Area Descriptions
Topic 1: Modeling Gaps (HydroWIRES)

· Eligibility: ANL, INL, NREL, PNNL, ORNL
· Estimated DOE Funding Available: $3M
· Estimated Number of Projects Expected: 1-2
· Estimated Project Duration: 3 years
· Award size: $1-3M
· No more than half of the upper limit on funding amount per award may be
proposed for the first year.
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The role of hydropower on the power system is changing, but the modeling of hydro
generation in power system tools and software has not changed greatly over decades. Hence it
is necessary to identify hydropower modeling gaps and improve the models based on these
gaps.
After identifying top hydropower modeling gaps to representation of hydropower in

power system models, previous work focused on the Western Electricity Coordinating
Council (WECC) region to develop a framework for addressing these gaps in planning
and operational studies. Some of the identified modeling gaps are:
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Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Other Minority
Institutions) as educational entities recognized by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education,
and identified on the OCR's Department of Education U.S. accredited postsecondary minorities’ institution list. See
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.
8
Hydropower Modeling Gaps in Planning and Operational Studies (energy.gov)

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• Water availability is not updated seasonally or is not modeled;
• Interdependencies between different hydro plants and the environment are not
modeled;
• Machine rough zones are not represented in the models; and
• Dynamic models are outdated and need to be updated.
Considering these gaps, in partnership with WECC, an ongoing HydroWIRES Modeling

Gaps project is focusing on developing new models and implementing them with the
goal of developing public tools to include robust and updated scenarios for utility
planning. Among other efforts, this project is developing a software tool that considers
representation of hydro constraints, as well as improving and updating dynamic models
in operation and planning studies with the goal of knowledge transfer to the industry in
the form of data, methodologies, and tools for improved operation and planning
practices.
Next steps in this effort will include continued partnership with WECC model users and
other practitioners to improve hydro generation representation in power system
studies for operation and planning. Proposals of interest should focus on one or more
of the following:
• Building on the previous WECC project, expanding the scope to address modeling
gaps in the Eastern Interconnection.
• Highlighting how hydropower modeling could be enhanced to better represent
its dynamic role in an evolving grid;
• Developing public tools to have more robust and updated scenarios for utility
planning by incorporating accurate hydrological conditions and constraints in
collaboration with WECC and other utilities as well as developing basecases that
reflect the required hydro conditions.
• Studying the effect of extreme climate events (e.g., drought, flood, wildfire, etc.)
and other conditions (e.g., high DER) on grid resiliency using the modified models
with accurate hydrological conditions.
Topic 2: Future Grid Strength (HydroWIRES)

· Estimated Number of Projects Expected: 1
· Award size: $2M

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Hydropower provides many grid benefits, a subset of which are inertia and other
important grid stability services such as short-circuit current. While thermal generators
can also provide these services, these generators are, for various reasons, retiring
rapidly. A deeper understanding of hydropower's role in providing these grid strength
services in a future grid where it is perhaps the primary source would be valuable to
inform future planning as well as policy discussions.
Previous HydroWIRES work has highlighted the role of hydropower in providing
primary frequency response, ramping, and other benefits during contingency events. 9
In some cases, hydropower can help to avoid widespread outages or increased
emissions from ramped-up thermal generation during these adverse grid conditions.
But while previous studies have offered valuable anecdotes and modeling frameworks,
a more comprehensive look at the unique benefits of hydropower at the timescales of
grid stability has not been developed yet. Furthermore, the possibility for radically
different grid paradigms (e.g., inverter-based resources dominate to the point of
eliminating the need for synchronous resources to maintain grid frequency) may offer
new possibilities for remaining hydropower resources.
Proposals of interest will be comprehensive, national-scale modeling efforts (but with
regional insight) that address these issues. While the grid issues and scenarios
considered in this study will extend further out into the future than, for example, the
modeling gaps topic, there should still be interface with or participation by utilities,
system operators, industry associations, etc., in the project. Also, given that this project
will require broad modeling and operational expertise across timescales, involvement
of more than one lab will likely be beneficial.
Topic 3: US-Norway Collaboration (HydroWIRES)

· Award size: $500k-1M
9
Hydropower’s Contributions to Grid Resilience (pnnl.gov)

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Norway is a world leader in hydropower technology, operations, and modeling, which
inspired a 2020 US-Norway MOU and international research summit. Since then, the
MOU collaboration has been active, including 10+ research projects in areas of joint
interest.10 While HydroCen, the flagship Norwegian research consortium under which
these projects were started, is now concluding, there are new Norwegian and/or
European initiatives being launched with similar research themes that may lead to
additional fruitful collaborations.
This topic solicits new research projects aligned with the HydroWIRES roadmap that are
not captured in the existing portfolio or other topics in this call, which are performed in
collaboration with Norwegian researchers and/or partners. Topics should clearly
further the goals of HydroWIRES as described in the research roadmap as well as the
MOU between DOE and the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, and the
concept slides and application should explain how they do this. Truly joint
collaborations with significant contributions from both US and Norwegian researchers
are preferred.
Areas of interest include those explored in previous workshops, such as improved
hydropower scheduling, production cost model performance metrics and
benchmarking, modeling impacts of future market products on hydropower
operations, PSH tunneling, hydropeaking, and other topics of mutual interest. Topics of
greatest interest are those with primary HydroWIRES focus, but these may connect
with other hydropower program areas.
Topic 4: Open Topic (HydroWIRES only)

· Estimated DOE Funding Available: $3.5M
· Estimated Project Duration: 2-3 years
· Award size: $750k-1M
This topic solicits new ideas not captured in the existing HydroWIRES portfolio. Topics
should clearly further the goals of HydroWIRES as described in the research roadmap,
and the application should explain how they do this. Collaborations with industry or
10
U.S.-Norway Hydropower Collaborations | Department of Energy

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other external entities outside the labs to co-design, validate, and implement National
Lab results are highly encouraged and will be viewed favorably in the merit review.
While the topic is open to any project aligned with the HydroWIRES roadmap, possible
topics of interest, in no particular order, could include the following. These topics are
not exhaustive, and DOE expects to also select projects on topics beyond those listed
below.
• PMA collaboration: Based on fruitful collaborations with WAPA to plan for
changing resource profiles, water availability, and dam operations, new concepts
might explore further collaboration with WAPA and/or other PMAs. (PMAs
would generally be expected to provide 50/50 matching cost share for such
projects.)
• How to best use extra energy from existing hydro: Certain hydropower owners
(e.g., Sitka) generate excess energy from their hydropower, raising questions
about what end-uses for their hydropower energy might be most valuable.
• PSH expansion potential in existing powerhouses: Some industry partners (e.g.,
GE) have suggested that there are empty bays in existing PSH powerhouses that
could accommodate new PSH units, but the size of the opportunity across the US
is unclear.
• PPAs capturing hydropower predictability: Hydropower struggles to compete
with wind and solar on a $/MWh basis, but depending on the plant and its
operation, it may offer additional value through a more favorable or
complementary generation profile and/or as part of 24/7 clean energy PPAs.
• Inflow forecasting: While past work has identified the costs of sub-standard
inflow forecasting, additional work remains to understand the critical model
types and capabilities (including various AI methods) that are highest priority for
improvement so that tools used by industry can optimize hydro’s performance in
the changing power system.
• Coupled water and power modeling: While most past work has utilized one-way
coupling of water and power constraints, such as by improving water inputs to
power system models, creating a two-way feedback model by hard-coupling
water and power system models in which both state of the grid and operational
decisions are considered in a dynamic way that affect each other may provide
advantages for planners and operators.
Topic 5: Extreme Weather and Climate Events (Hydrologic Systems Science)

 Eligibility: No Restrictions
 Estimated DOE Funding Available: $1.8M
 Estimated Number of Projects Expected: 1-2

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 Estimated Project Duration: 2-3 Years
 Award size: $900K-1.8M
 No more than one-third of the upper limit on funding amount per award
may be proposed for the first year.
Over the last 40 years, roughly 85% of all disaster related costs were the result of
billion-dollar disaster events, with 2022 marking the eighth consecutive year in which
ten or more separate billion-dollar disaster events have impacted the United States
(Smith, 2022). These extreme events can have devastating effects on the country’s
infrastructure including power generation facilities, and climate change is only
increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme events like heat waves, droughts,
wildfires, hurricanes, inland flooding, and heavy precipitation (IPCC, 2021). Generally,
an extreme event is defined as a climate or weather event that is observed to exceed
above or below the historical observation parameter value range threshold
(Seneviratne, 2012). Power generation facilities, like hydropower, are particularly
vulnerable to extreme events because they can directly impact hydropower
infrastructure and the economic benefits that hydroelectric production provides to
energy users. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how
intensifying and more frequent extreme events affect the generation, transmission,
and supply of electricity produced by hydropower.
The United States (US) relies on hydropower for approximately 274 TWh representing
6.6% of the country’s electricity (Martinez, 2021). As climate change unfolds, it is
crucial to adapt hydropower systems to ensure their long-term viability and
sustainability. The production and transmission of electricity produced by hydropower
encompasses a roughly $261 USD billion industry (Precedence Research, 2023).
Impacts of extreme weather events put this sector at risk, resulting in lost revenue,
damage to property, including assets and infrastructure, and even loss of life.
Furthermore, extreme weather events are revealing the vulnerability of the nation’s
aging infrastructure, particularly in the hydropower sector. Many of the major dams
that hydropower production relies on were constructed prior to the 1960’s. These
facilities, which were designed under different climate conditions, may require
retrofitting to continue to operate under a changing climate. As investment in
hydropower is forecasted to increase to meet future emission reduction and clean
energy targets, it is imperative that threats to reliable power generation are
understood and planned for.
Through this topic, WPTO aims to address extreme weather and climate events and
their effects on hydropower infrastructure, operation, and planning. Proposals of
interest should focus on one or more of the following:

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1. Event classification: Defining what constitutes an extreme event is crucial to
future research. This will aid in the identification of past events and prediction of
future events. This could include examining statistics of certain events to
quantify probability and characteristics. Thresholds of extreme events are also
shifting under a changing climate. Further study into these shifting thresholds
could enable water managers to plan more reliable generation schedules by
being able to identify which events will surpass operational thresholds or pose a
threat to their facilities.
2. Modeling of events: Advancements in modeling and prediction of extreme
events are extremely important because current climate and weather models do
not fully account for extreme. As mentioned above, emerging trends in extreme
events are shifting the indices for what is a “normal” event. Incorporation of new
data that inform model frameworks and model predictions are becoming more
necessary. Also, innovations such as Nvidia’s ForecastNet (Pathak et al., 2022)
and Google DeepMind’s GraphCast (Lam et al., 2023) showcase machine learning
and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of predicting weather events. New
applications of AI can be crucial to understanding risks to hydropower, long-term
planning efforts, and warning and prevention measures.
3. Impact quantification: Another research area is quantifying the impacts related
to extreme events especially as climate change increases their frequency and
magnitude. This requires translating extreme event classification and modeling
research into analysis that is actionable. Research into impact quantification
could include improving existing estimation methodologies, including new
datasets on impact analyses, incorporating decision-making frameworks,
developing data services or tools, creating cost-benefit analyses, and more. The
information gathered from climate models that consider extreme events can aid
in monitoring, managing, and mitigating extreme event impacts and informing
decisions for hydropower managers. Stakeholders like asset owners could also
benefit from more accurate quantification of extreme event impacts that
estimate loss of revenue, mitigation expenses, or even infrastructure damage.
Impact quantification can be strengthened through stakeholder engagement and
strategic partnerships that help contextualize findings for resource management
and planning.
4. Mitigation and resilience strategies: The last research area seeks to better
understand effective mitigation and resilience strategies for managing resources
related to hydropower. These strategies may either take place at a hydropower
facility and may include operational changes or in the surrounding watershed to
control for water quality and quantity. Other strategies could include the
integration of low-impact infrastructure changes/enhancements or nature-based
solutions. Ultimately, study of mitigation and resilience strategies should
measurably improve long-term planning and/or operation of hydropower.

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Successful proposals should:
• Demonstrate a significant advancement in the state-of-the-science for one or
more of the topic areas listed above.
• Provide aid to the hydropower community (researchers, owners, operators,
customers, etc.) in some fashion for one or more of the topic areas listed above.
• Build on previous technology, advancements, or findings completed in this
space. WPTO is specifically interested in how these events impact hydropower.
Because this topic is broad, it is important to leverage work and apply it towards
understanding the above mentioned topics in regard to how they impact
hydropower.
• Demonstrate real-world applicability through case studies, data analysis, or
partnerships.
Topic 6:
Smart Maintenance Implementation Assistance (Fleet Modernization, Maintenance, & Cy
· Eligibility: No Restrictions
· Estimated DOE Funding Available: $1.2M
· Estimated Project Duration: 1-3 Years
· Award size: $600K-1.2M
Background
The nation’s aging hydropower fleet is comprised of a mix of fixed civil infrastructure,
water conveyance systems, power conversion equipment, and balance of plant
systems. The useful life, functionality, and best-practice maintenance requirements for
each component part of the hydropower generation fleet can vary greatly depending
on the particulars of each generation system siting, water delivery requirements, unit
design, operations, and maintenance history. “Equipment maintenance is the largest
single cost for the Federal hydropower and PMA transmission programs.”
Traditionally, hydropower owners and operators’ maintenance programs have followed
prescriptive, time-based maintenance and inspection programs. These programs may
lose asset value by conducting maintenance earlier than needed or may not properly
adapt to changing operating conditions (e.g., due to increased need for turbine
flexibility) leading to increased failure rates. Predictive maintenance, also called
condition based or reliability centered maintenance, mitigates these challenges by
using instrumentation, modeling, and data analytics to understand the remaining
useful life and failure probabilities of an asset in real time. Existing WPTO-funded
efforts developed wear and fatigue models, fleet-wide data analytics tools, and digital
twins to support predictive maintenance for a variety of high priority asset classes.

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Smart maintenance optimizes the value of maintenance activities by pairing
predictive analytics with risk and economic analysis to inform case specific decision
making. The value generated can be in terms of economics, safety, environmental
outcomes, administrative burden, and others as determined by the project
stakeholders (e.g., asset owners, local communities, environmental advocates, etc.).
Organizational change will require solutions that meet the unique needs of hydropower
stakeholders. This call is to accelerate the transition to smart maintenance
methodologies by streamlining the implementation of new and existing maintenance
analytics resources at existing hydropower facilities through programmatic assistance
to hydropower asset owners and operators. The end goals are tangible improvements
in maintenance practices in one or more hydropower plants each year, impactful
dissemination of lessons learned for broader industry application, and systematic
methods for replication of successful smart maintenance practices.
Scope and Technical Requirements

This call seeks proposals that aim to 1) develop a suite of technical resources to support
the transition of hydropower operators from scheduled maintenance to predictive or
smart maintenance practices, 2) create a program structure with which to identify,
select, and engage with hydropower operators on the implementation of these
resources, 3) engage with at least one hydropower operator per year, and 4)
disseminate lessons learned to the broad hydropower industry.
The suite of technical resources should include existing resources, such as code,
models, applications, and guidance documents produced by WPTO, other industry
organizations (e.g., CEATI – Center for Energy Advancement through Technological
Innovation), and commercial vendors. The project may include the development of
new resources. However, to emphasize the focus on industry engagement, funding
allocated solely to the development of new tools should be limited to 30% of the
overall project budget.
The program structure is meant to be a replicable, but customizable method of
engaging with hydropower operators. The structure can be an important aspect to the
timing, scope, and efficacy of external engagements, so they should be tailored to the
audience and desired nature of the engagement. As such, proposals should indicate the
type of engagement mechanisms they aim to develop in partnership with WPTO. These
may include traditional technical assistance (TA) notices, leveraging existing or regional
partnerships, vouchers, or others as allowed by financial assistance regulations.
Successful proposals should indicate:

15
• Sufficient knowledge of existing resources in this space (including WPTO-funded
tools).
o Examples of existing WPTO funded projects under the fleet modernization,
maintenance, and cybersecurity portfolio can be found on the WPTO Project
Map website.
• Technical proficiencies in hydropower operations and maintenance practices,
prognostics and health monitoring, techno-economic analysis, and stakeholder
engagement.
• Previous experience engaging with hydropower owners and operators.
• Potential quantitative and qualitative measures of project success.
• Letters of support from relevant entities, if proposing to work with commercial
vendors or to partner with specific hydropower operators for early
engagements.
Anticipated Work to be Performed

Project proposals shall include a narrative plan for how they plan to achieve the
following listed activities, including how the applicant will develop a hydropower
operator engagement process and implement said process in subsequent years.
Proposals may scope out efforts for up to three years with the option to extend
pending available budget and successful Go-No/Go decisions each fiscal year based on
project performance and stakeholder feedback. The estimated funding numbers above
indicate the available FY24 funds. Funding from future fiscal years may be available per
congressional and program direction. Proposals are recommended to limit budgets up
to $600k per year per lab. Proposed budgets should be commensurate to the proposed
scope of engagements.
Project activities must include:
• Development of a smart maintenance implementation assistance process for
hydropower owners and operators.
• Engagement with a minimum of one hydropower operator per year.
• Compilation of a suite of relevant existing technical resources and tools.
• Identification and development of novel smart maintenance resources based on
stakeholder needs.
• Dissemination of lessons learned to the broader hydropower community.
Project proposals should highlight high priority assistance capabilities that they plan to
develop or leverage during engagements with hydropower operators. Example
capabilities or areas of focus may include but are not limited to:

16
• Accelerated root cause identification of equipment/systems failure and
degradation
• Enhanced scheduling and maintenance timeline planning
• Techno-economic and (critical) risk analysis
• Instrumentation implementation
• Process improvement consulting
• Analysis of balance of plant components
• Adaptation of maintenance strategies from other industries
• Extrapolation of fleet wide data for plant level analyses
• Novel approaches to traditionally invasive, manual, or offline testing and
inspection practices
• Value analysis of advanced instrumentation
• The applied use of advanced digital twin
• Advanced visualizations, such as augmented reality or building information
modeling
• Anomaly detection algorithms and dashboards
Topic 7: Federal Hydropower Quick Wins (Program-wide)

· Estimated Project Duration: 1-2 Years
· Award Size: $100-250K
Background
Federally owned hydropower represents approximately half of the U.S. hydropower

nameplate capacity, including many of the largest facilities in the fleet. Maintaining and
modernizing this federal fleet requires significant investment and coordination. WPTO
supports this coordination through two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU):
1) Memorandum of Understanding for Hydropower Technology

Development with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) signed in 2023
2) Memorandum of Understanding for Federal Hydropower signed in 2020
with the combined interests of the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Department of Energy (DOE) Power
Marketing Administration (PMAs). The PMAs include Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA), Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA),
Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA), and Western Area Power
Administration (WAPA)

17
Each MOU has a list of topic areas of shared interest, as well as, a corresponding action
plan that outlines the relevant ongoing and proposed work.
Significant collaboration on hydropower has organically occurred between the

agencies, but direct funding of ideas that emerge from MOU conversations has been
challenging given the varying funding cycles and scopes. In addition, when collaborative
projects occur without coincident research funding from the federal agencies, federal
staff often must conduct that work on top of their assigned duties, leading to
bandwidth challenges. This topic is a pilot effort that seeks “quick win” collaborative
projects that minimize the bandwidth required and solve targeted challenges within
the federal hydropower fleet.
Scope and Technical Requirements
A quick win project is meant to be short term (<2 years) with actionable outcomes and
deliverables during this period. Proposals should be either 1) an extension of ongoing
efforts (e.g., research, maintenance, or planning) within the federal partner’s
organization or 2) a new project topic that aims to solve a specific, well-defined
challenge within the federal fleet. Project topics must fall within the topic areas
identified within the MOU’s. Applicant proposals must include a letter of support from
an authorized sponsoring hydropower MOU representative and clearly identify how the
proposal aligns with the MOU and corresponding Action Plan. Letters of support should
include the expected staffing, data, equipment, and labor-hour needs from the MOU
partner, as well as, how the MOU partner plans to support these needs (e.g., through
existing research, maintenance, or capital improvement budgets). This information
helps ensure that sufficient bandwidth is available for successful project execution.
To enable proper communication and visibility across the federal MOU partners,
applicants must notify their respective hydropower lab relationship manager with the
proposed project topic and partner list before obtaining a letter of support from the
MOU partner. Guidance will be provided to the lab relationship managers to help
facilitate communication with the MOU partners.
Anticipated Work to be Performed
While work under this topic may lead to follow on program activities, the scope of work
should not rely on future funding to achieve the desired outcomes. For example,
scoping studies and the development of multi-year research plans are not within the
intended scope of this topic. Proposals are recommended to limit budgets to $250k.
Proposal applications should include a narrative of the problem statement, the
proposed solutions and activities, and the desired outcomes or deliverables during the
project period. Successful proposals should also describe how the problems and
solutions studied under the project scope are applicable to the broader U.S.
hydropower fleet. Applications pertaining to an extension of ongoing efforts within the

18
federal partner organization must clearly identify the project phasing entry point and
exit point/expected deliverable(s) as well as the contributions to the larger research
activity.
As indicated above, the proposed topics must align with one of the topic areas already
identified the TVA and Federal Hydropower MOU documents as listed below.
Memorandum of Understanding for Memorandum of Understanding for

Federal Hydropower Hydropower Technology Development
(USACE, USBR, BPA, SEPA, SWPA, WAPA) (TVA)
 Asset Management  Climate Change Adaptation
 Value of Hydropower  Hydropower Fleet Asset
 Workforce Management
 Water Supply Reliability  Valuation of Hydropower
 Environmental Outcomes  Pumped Storage
 New Turbine Demonstration
 Workforce Development
 Emerging Opportunities
II. Application Submission and Review Information

A. Application and Submission Details
i. Application Process
To apply to this Lab Call, applicants must register with their lab email address and
submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-
eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online application portal. Beginning on July 8, 2022,
eXCHANGE will be updated to integrate with Login.gov. As of August 5, 2022, potential
applicants will be required to have a Login.gov account to access EERE eXCHANGE. As
part of the eXCHANGE registration process, users will be directed to create an account
in https://login.gov/. Please note that the email address associated with Login.gov must
match the email address associated with the eXCHANGE account. For more
information, refer to the Exchange Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Quick Guide in
the Manuals section of eXCHANGE.
All submissions must conform to the guidelines for format and length, and be
submitted at, or prior to, the deadline listed.

19
Applicants will be required to include project information and details in eXCHANGE that
will be used to develop and accelerate negotiations of FY 2025 AOPs if selected.
Appendix A provides a worksheet to guide applicants through this process in
eXCHANGE. Any information the applicant considers to be of significance for the review
process must be included in the proposal, as reviewers will not have access to the AOP
development information entered in eXCHANGE.
ii. General Proposal Requirements

Concept slides should be formatted for 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio with typeface size that
is readable in presentation mode (see Concept Slide Template for additional guidance).
Full proposals should be formatted for 8.5 x 11 paper, single spaced, and have 1-inch
margins on each side. Typeface size should be 12-point font, except tables and figures,
which may be in 10-point font.
iii. Proposal Content

Proposal content aligns with content required in the EERE AOP project forms, with
additional information to assist reviewers in evaluating technical details. Applicants
must include all content they wish to have reviewed in the proposal (proposal
reviewers will not review any information provided in eXCHANGE for AOP
development).
Concept Slides
Concept slides must be limited to a single concept or technology. Unrelated concepts
and technologies should not be consolidated into a single submission.
The Concept slides must conform to the following content requirements:
FILE
SECTION SLIDE LIMIT DESCRIPTION
FORMAT
Concept Slides MS 3 The concepts slides should include the following basic information:
(For additional PowerPoint · Project title;
guidance see the · The Topic Area being addressed;
Concept Slides · Principal investigator’s name and email;
Template) · Other team member points of contact and the names of
their organizations;
· Budget (total and by fiscal year);
· Project duration;
· External Cost Share (if applicable); and

20
· Statements regarding confidentiality (if applicable).
Concept slides are required to succinctly describe:

1. A Problem Statement using text and/or figures including:
· A description of the problem;
· The project goal including targeted improvements and
knowledge gaps addressed;
· Project impact including who in the broader community
would benefit from this work; and
· How this challenge fits within WPTO’s Mission.
2. Technical Objectives using text and/or figures including:

· Major innovations and impacts to the target audience,
broader research and/or hydropower community;
· Major anticipated outcomes or deliverables;
· Key metrics for success.
3. Project Approach using text and/or figures including:

· A summary description of the overall work scope;
· The methods used to achieve the solution;
· The benefits of this solutions compared to others; and
· Milestones or Go/No-Go points.
Full Applications
· EERE will not review or consider ineligible Full Applications.
· Each Full Application shall be limited to a single concept or technology.
Unrelated concepts and technologies shall not be consolidated in a single Full
Application.
Full Applications must conform to the following requirements:
PAGE
SECTION FILE FORMAT FILE NAME
LIMIT
Technical Volume PDF 12 ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TechnicalVolume
PDF
Resumes ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Resumes
Not Specified
Letters of PDF
ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs
Not Specified
Commitment
Summary/Abstract PDF
1 ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Summary
for Public Release
Summary Slide MS PowerPoint 1 ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Slide
Diversity, Equity, PDF

1 ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_DEIAIP
Inclusion, and

21
Accessibility (DEIA)
Implementation
Plan
Technical Volume
The Technical Volume must be submitted in PDF format. The Technical Volume must
conform to the following content and form requirements, including the 12 page limit. If
applicants exceed the 12 page limit indicated above, EERE will review only the
authorized number of pages and disregard any additional pages. Save the Technical
Volume in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title
“ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TechnicalVolume”.
Applicants must provide sufficient citations and references to the primary research
literature to justify the claims and approaches made in the Technical Volume. However,
EERE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources.
The Technical Volume to the Full Application may not be more than 12 pages, including
the cover page, table of contents, and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or
other graphics, and must include all of the information in the table below. The
applicant should consider the weighting of each of the evaluation criteria when
preparing the Technical Volume.
The Technical Volume must conform to the following content requirements:
SECTION / PAGE LIMIT DESCRIPTION

Cover Page The cover page should include the project title, the specific Lab Call Topic
1 page Area being addressed, both the technical and business points of contact,
names of all team member organizations, and any statements regarding
confidentiality.
Problem Statement The Problem Statement should include:
1 page · Background: Describe the problem that the proposed concept will
address.
· Project Goal: Explicitly identify the targeted improvements and
knowledge gaps this proposal fills
· Impact: Describe who in the broader community would benefit
from this work, i.e. which stakeholder groups, in as much
specificity as possible.
· Role for the Government: Discuss why this work is appropriate for
the government.

22
Technical Description and The Technical Description and Impact should contain:
Impact · Innovation and Impacts: Describe the current state-of-the-art in
2-4 pages the applicable field, the specific innovation of the proposal, the
advantages of proposed method or technology over current and
emerging ones, and the overall impact on advancing the state-of-
the-art/technical baseline if the project is successful.
· Relevance and Outcomes: Provide a detailed description of the
technical objectives that will be pursued during the project and
supporting scientific or engineering principles. This section should
describe the relevance of the proposed project to the goals and
objectives of the lab call, including the potential to meet specific
DOE technical targets or other relevant performance targets. The
applicant should clearly specify the expected outcomes of the
project. Describe how success directly impacts the Hydropower
Program’s goals and larger WPTO and DOE goals.
· Feasibility: Demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed
project and capability of achieving the anticipated project
objectives, including a description of previous work done and prior
results. Include a description of what success will look like.
Project Structure and This section should explain the structure of activities, specific inputs and
Approach outputs, connectivity with other work in the Hydropower Program, WPTO,
3-5 pages or DOE portfolio, and important partnerships within and outside of the
national lab network. The Project Structure and Approach should include:
· Technical Scope Summary: Provide a summary description of the
overall work scope and approach to achieve the objective(s).
· Task Description Summary: Describe the work to be accomplished
and how the applicant will achieve the milestones, will accomplish
the final project goal(s), and will produce all deliverables. Please
break into discrete tasks. Each task should be described in its own
sub-section, detailing the planned methodology.
· Milestone or Deliverable Summary: Provide a table or summary of
appropriate milestones throughout the project to demonstrate
success including their end date. A milestone may be either a
progress measure (which can be activity based) or a SMART
technical milestone. SMART milestones should be Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely, and must
demonstrate a technical achievement rather than simply
completing a task. The minimum requirement is that each project
must have roughly one milestone per quarter for the duration of
the project with at least one SMART technical milestone per year
(depending on the project, more milestones may be necessary to
comprehensively demonstrate progress).
· Risks: Describe any points of concern/risks that exist in executing
the proposed work. Include a description of the risk and a plan to
respond to the risk. This should be in narrative form and may also
be summarized into a table.
· Project Schedule (Gantt Chart or similar): Provide a schedule for
the entire project, including task and subtask durations,

23
milestones, and decision points.
· Budget: Include budget broken out into fiscal years for each task
described. If possible, break out by lab. Also clearly note
subcontract funding, if applicable.
Team Suitability and The Team Suitability and Resources should contain the following
Resources information:
1 page · Describe the project team’s unique qualifications and expertise,
including those of key subrecipients.
· Describe the project team’s existing equipment and facilities that
will facilitate the successful completion of the proposed project
· Describe the time commitment of the key team members to
support the project.
· For multi-organizational or multi-investigator projects, describe
succinctly:
o The roles and the work to be performed by each PI and
Key Participant;
o Business agreements between the applicant and each PI
and Key Participant;
o How the various efforts will be integrated and managed;
o Process for making decisions on scientific/technical
direction;
o And, if applicable, publication arrangements; intellectual
property issues; and communication plans
Resumes
Applicants are required to submit resumes for key participating team members. Save
the resumes in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title
“ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Resumes”.
Letters of Commitment
Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share
providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from partners/end
users. Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following
convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs”.
Summary/Abstract for Public Release

Applicants are required to submit a single page summary/abstract of their project. The
project summary/abstract must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable
for dissemination to the public. It should be a self-contained document that identifies
the name of the applicant, the project director/principal investigator(s), the project
title, the objectives of the project, a description of the project, including methods to be
employed, the potential impact of the project (e.g., benefits, outcomes), and major
participants (for collaborative projects). This document must not include any
proprietary or sensitive business information as DOE may make it available to the

24
public after selections are made. The project summary must not exceed a single page
when printed using standard 8.5 x 11 paper with 1” margins (top, bottom, left, and
right) with font not smaller than 12 point. Save the Summary for Public Release in a
single PDF file using the following convention for the title
“ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Summary”.
Summary Slide
Applicants are required to provide a single MS Powerpoint slide summarizing the
proposed project. This slide is used during the evaluation process.
The Summary Slide template requires the following information:

 A technology summary;
 A description of the technology’s impact;
 Proposed project goals;
 Any key graphics (illustrations, charts and/or tables);
 The project’s key idea/takeaway;
 Project title, prime recipient, Principal Investigator, and Key Participant
information; and
 Requested EERE funds and proposed applicant cost share.
Save the Summary Slide in a single page MS Powerpoint file using the following
convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Slide”.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation Plan

As part of the application, applicants are required to describe how diversity, equity,
inclusion, and accessibility objectives will be incorporated in the project. Specifically,
applicants are required to submit a description of how the project will incorporate DEIA
and/or support, or integrate, the lab-wide DEIA Plan. The plan should describe the
actions the applicant will take to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment,
support people from groups underrepresented in STEM, advance equity, and
encourage the inclusion of individuals from these groups in the project; and the extent
the project activities will be located in or benefit underserved communities. The plan
should include SMART milestones supported by metrics to measure the success of the
proposed actions. The DEIA Implementation Plan should reflect the size, scope, and
resources of the project.
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation plan should be
specific to the project and project team but may reference the lab DEIA plan if
applicable, and contain the following information:
 Equity Impacts: the impacts of the proposed project on underserved or
disadvantaged communities, including social and environmental impacts.

25
· Benefits: The overall benefits of the proposed project to underserved or
disadvantaged communities and/or underrepresented individuals or groups;
and
· How diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility objectives will be incorporated
in the project.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of actions that can serve as examples of ways the
proposed project could incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion elements. These
examples should not be considered either comprehensive or prescriptive. Applicants
are encouraged to propose appropriate actions not covered by these examples.
a. Engagement and inclusion of underrepresented individual or groups
i. Include persons from groups underrepresented in STEM as PI, co-PI,
and/or other senior personnel;
ii. Include persons from groups underrepresented in STEM as student
researchers or post-doctoral researchers;
iii. Implement evidence-based, diversity-focused education programs (such
as implicit bias training for staff) in your organization;
iv. Identify Minority Business Enterprises, Minority Owned Businesses,
Woman Owned Businesses and Veteran Owned Businesses to solicit as
vendors and sub-contractors for bids on supplies, services and
equipment
v. Include faculty or students from Minority Serving Institutions as PI/co-PI,
senior personnel, and/or student researchers;
vi. Enhance or collaborate with existing diversity programs at your home
organization and/or nearby organizations;
vii. Collaborate with students, researchers, and staff in Minority Serving
Institutions;
b. Explicit diversity and accessibility in research impact
i. Illustrated outcome impact in underserved or disadvantaged
communities
ii. Disseminate results of research and development in Minority Serving
Institutions or other appropriate institutions serving underserved
communities;
c. Explicit diversity and equity considerations in research design. Inclusion of a
broad community, academic, policymaking staff in research design and
execution phase
Save the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Implementation Plan in a
single PDF file using the following convention for the title
“ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_DEIAIP”.
Content and Form of Replies to Reviewer Comments

26
WPTO will provide applicants with reviewer comments following the evaluation of all
eligible Full Applications. Applicants will have a brief opportunity to review the
comments and to prepare a short Reply to Reviewer Comments responding to the
comments however they desire or supplementing their Full Application. The Reply to
Reviewer Comments is an optional submission; applicants are not required to submit a
Reply to Reviewer Comments. EERE will post the Reviewer Comments in EERE
eXCHANGE. The expected submission deadline is on the cover page of the Lab Call;
however, it is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor EERE eXCHANGE in the event
that the expected date changes. The deadline will not be extended for applicants who
are unable to timely submit their reply due to failure to check EERE eXCHANGE or
relying on the expected date alone.
EERE will not review or consider ineligible Replies to Reviewer Comments. EERE will
review and consider each eligible Full Application, even if no Reply is submitted or if the
Reply is found to be ineligible.
Replies to Reviewer Comments must conform to the following content and form
requirements, including maximum page lengths, described below. If a Reply to
Reviewer Comments is more than 5 pages in length, EERE will review only the first 5
pages and disregard any additional pages.
SECTION PAGE LIMIT DESCRIPTION

Applicants may respond to one or more reviewer comments or
Text 3
supplement their Full Application.
Applicants may use this page however they wish; text, graphs,
Optional 2 charts, or other data to respond to reviewer comments or
supplement their Full Application are acceptable.
Please make sure to preface the responses with a short note about the context of what
is being addressed. For example: Concerns regarding our assumption around cost
reduction – We used the following methodology to calculate the reduction in cost…
Reviewers will not have a list of comments in front of them to match with short
rebuttals. In other words DO NOT do the following as reviewers will not be able to
reference the specific comment: Reviewer 3 comment 5 - We used the following
methodology to calculate the reduction in cost…
It is important to note that it is usually best to use the allotted space to address a few
of the most critical comments well, rather than try to respond to all of them.

27
Treatment of Application Information
Proprietary Information
In general, DOE will use data and other information contained in proposals only for
evaluation purposes, unless such information is generally available to the public or is
already the property of the government.
Proposals should not include trade secrets or commercial or financial information that
is privileged or confidential unless such information is necessary to convey an
understanding of the proposed project or to comply with a requirement in the Lab Call.
B. Application Review Details

i. Merit Review and Selection Process
Upon receipt and review for initial compliance with requirements, all proposals
received in eXCHANGE by the deadline will undergo a thorough technical review. WPTO
will use expert reviewers familiar with the WPTOportfolio, goals, and objectives. WPTO
will collect and collate review scores and comments for use in making final project
selections. The WPTOOfficials will consider the merit review results to make the final
project selections. For transparency, WPTOwill provide summaries of the review
results to assist labs in understanding how their submission reviewed and aid in
improving future work.
ii. Technical Review Criteria

Concept Slides
Concept slides are evaluated based on consideration of the following factors:
Concept Slides Criterion: Overall Responsiveness (Weight: 100%)

This criterion involves consideration of the following factors:
 The proposed work is clearly describes and is unique and innovative, and
how the proposed work will advance the current state-of-the-art;
 The applicant has shown the impact that EERE funding and the proposed
project would have on the relevant field and application;
 The applicant has the qualifications, experience, capabilities and other
resources necessary to complete the proposed project; and
 The proposed work, if successfully accomplished, would clearly meet the
objectives as stated in the Lab Call.
Final Applications
Applications will be evaluated against the merit review criteria shown below:
Criterion 1: Technical Merit, Innovation, and Impact (50%)

28
Technical Merit and Innovation
 Extent to which the proposal is innovative;
 Degree to which the current state of the science and the
proposed advancement(s) are clearly described;
 Extent to which the application specifically and convincingly
demonstrates how the applicant will move the state-of-the-art
to the proposed advancement; and
 Sufficiency of technical detail in the application to assess
whether the proposed work is scientifically meritorious and
innovative, including relevant data, calculations and discussion
of prior work in the literature with analyses that support the
viability of the proposed work.
Impact
 How the project supports the topic area objectives and target
specifications and metrics; and
 The potential impact of the project on advancing the state-of-
the-art.
Criterion 2: Project Approach (30%)

Approach and Tasks
 Degree to which the approach has been clearly described and
thoughtfully considered; and
 Degree to which the task descriptions are clear, detailed, timely,
and reasonable, resulting in a high likelihood that the proposed
workplan succeed in meeting the project goals.
Identification of Technical Risks
 Discussion and demonstrated understanding of the key technical
risk areas involved in the proposed work and the quality of the
mitigation strategies to address them.
Baseline, Metrics, and Deliverables
 The level of clarity in the definition of the baseline, metrics, and
milestones; and
 Relative to a clearly defined experimental baseline, the
quantifiable metrics, milestones, and deliverables make
meaningful progress to the project goals
Criterion 3: Team Suitability and Resources (10%)

 The capability of the Principal Investigator(s) and the proposed team to
address all aspects of the proposed work with a high probability of

29
success. The qualifications, relevant expertise, and time commitment of
the individuals on the team;
 The sufficiency of the facilities to support the work;
 The degree to which the proposed consortia/team demonstrates the
ability to facilitate and expedite further development and commercial
deployment of the proposed technologies;
 The level of participation by project participants as evidenced by
letter(s) of commitment and how well they are integrated into the
Project Approach and Structure; and
 The reasonableness of the budget for the proposed project and
objectives.
Criterion 4: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (10%)

 The quality and manner in which the measures incorporate diversity,
equity, inclusion, and accessibility goals in the project and project team;
and
 Extent to which the project benefits underserved or disadvantaged
communities and/or underrepresented individuals or groups
Criteria for Replies to Reviewer Comments

EERE has not established separate criteria to evaluate Replies to Reviewer Comments.
Instead, Replies to Reviewer Comments are attached to the original applications and
evaluated as an extension of the Full Application.
iii. Selection for Award Negotiation

WPTOcarefully considers all of the information obtained through the proposal process
and makes an independent assessment of each compliant and responsive proposal
based on the criteria set forth in this Lab Call. WPTOmay select or not select a proposal
for negotiations. WPTOmay also postpone a final selection determination on one or
more proposals until a later date, subject to availability of funds and other factors.
WPTOwill notify applicants if they are, or are not, selected for award negotiation.
iv. Selection Notification

WPTOanticipates completing the project selection process and notifying labs of
selections during the week of July 29, 2024(subject to change).
WPTOwill notify lab leads of selection results from WPTOand will provide lab leads
with summaries of anonymized review comments for each proposal submitted.
v. Questions and Agency Contacts

30
Specific questions about this lab call should be submitted via e-mail to
hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov . To ensure fairness across all labs,
individual WPTOstaff cannot answer questions while the lab call remains open. To
keep all labs informed, WPTOwill post all questions and answers on EERE eXCHANGE.

31
Appendix A: Lab Call Full Application Worksheet for
eXCHANGE
Lab Call Full Application Worksheet
IMPORTANT: This document is provided as a courtesy to allow Lab Call applicants to
collaborate offline to develop Full Applications for Lab Calls. All information must be entered
into the eXCHANGE system and cannot be submitted with this document.
Please contact ITSIHelp@ee.doe.gov with any questions.
Project General Information

Control Number:
Applicant (Name and Email):
Organization Name:
Project Title:
Topic:
Project Start Date:
Project End Date:
Partner Laboratories:
Partner Laboratory Email First Name Last Name
_ _ _ _
Is this a continuation of an existing project?

WBS Number:
Fiscal Year Existing Project:
Project Overview (Multi-year):
Project Objectives (Multi-year):
Contact Information
Lab Lead Point of Contact and Business Contact Information
Name:
Email:
Title:
Address:

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Phone:
Fax:
Financials
Please add a separate table for each partner laboratory.
Lead Laboratory Name:
Year Planned Project Costs
2021 _
2022 _
2023 _
Subtotal _
Partner Laboratory (If Applicable) Name:
Year Planned Project Costs
2021 _
2022 _
2023 _
Subtotal _
Total Planned Project Costs:

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Performers
Please add a separate table for each partner laboratory.
Lead Laboratory Name:
2021 2022 2023
Subcontractor Start End Total
Sub Type Planned Planned Planned
Name Date Date Funding
Costs Costs Costs
Subcontractor
Subtotal
Partner Laboratory (If Applicable) Name:
2021 2022 2023
Subcontractor Start End Total
Sub Type Planned Planned Planned
Name Date Date Funding
Costs Costs Costs
Subcontractor
Subtotal
Total Planned Project Costs:

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Project Plan
Project Tasks:
Task Team Planned Start End
Title Description
Number Members Costs Date Date
Project Milestones:
Item End Team
Type Title Description Criteria
Number Date Members

35
Risks
Project Tasks:
Target
Risk Response Team
Description Severity Probability Response Source Classification Completion
Name Plan Members
Date

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Modalities/TRL
Modalities:
Modality
Modaility FY21 Weight (%) FY21 Planned Costs ($)
Number
Total:
Current TRL of the proposed technology (1-9):
Estimated TRL the technology will reach at project end (2-9):

37
Project Impacts
Deliverable/Product or "Output" Description:
Audience/Customer:
Audience/Customer Use:
Communications/Outreach Strategy:
Does this project involve significant industry engagement?

Description of Engagement:
Associated CRADAs?
CRADA Text

38

WPTO FY24 Hydropower Lab Call

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WPTO FY24 Hydropower Lab Call

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U.S.

Water Power Technologies OfficeHydropower Program

NATIONAL LABORATORY CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov .

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

· PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS: To apply to this Lab Call, lab personnel must

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

 NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION: When selections are finalized, lab leads will

B. Key Considerations and Topic Area(s)

· ELIGIBILITY: All DOE/National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Federally

· DIVERSITY, EQUITY, and INCLUSION:

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

As part of this whole of government approach, this lab call seeks to

Because a diverse set of voices at the table in research design and

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

· EERE NATIONAL LABORATORY GUIDING PRINCIPLES: To ensure continued

ii. Topic Area Descriptions

Topic 1: Modeling Gaps (HydroWIRES)

After identifying top hydropower modeling gaps to representation of hydropower in

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Considering these gaps, in partnership with WECC, an ongoing HydroWIRES Modeling

Topic 2: Future Grid Strength (HydroWIRES)

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Topic 3: US-Norway Collaboration (HydroWIRES)

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Topic 4: Open Topic (HydroWIRES only)

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Topic 5: Extreme Weather and Climate Events (Hydrologic Systems Science)

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Scope and Technical Requirements

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Anticipated Work to be Performed

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Topic 7: Federal Hydropower Quick Wins (Program-wide)

Federally owned hydropower represents approximately half of the U.S. hydropower

1) Memorandum of Understanding for Hydropower Technology

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Significant collaboration on hydropower has organically occurred between the

Scope and Technical Requirements

Anticipated Work to be Performed

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Memorandum of Understanding for Memorandum of Understanding for

II. Application Submission and Review Information

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

ii. General Proposal Requirements

iii. Proposal Content

The Concept slides must conform to the following content requirements:

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Concept slides are required to succinctly describe:

2. Technical Objectives using text and/or figures including:

3. Project Approach using text and/or figures including:

Full Applications must conform to the following requirements:

Diversity, Equity, PDF

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

The Technical Volume must conform to the following content requirements:

SECTION / PAGE LIMIT DESCRIPTION

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.

Questions about this Lab Call? Email hydropowerrequestforinnovation@ee.doe.gov.