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Media Contacts
![Conduit hydropower presents opportunities in every state. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-10/Picture1.png?h=3fe30658&itok=8NCUQOmV)
Millions of miles of pipelines and conduits across the United States make up an intricate network of waterways used for municipal, agricultural and industrial purposes.
![ORNL is studying how climate change may impact water availability for hydropower facilities such as the Shasta Dam and Lake in California. Credit: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-09/Shasta%20Dam.png?h=2664774c&itok=F-QELlkQ)
ORNL has provided hydropower operators with new data to better prepare for extreme weather events and shifts in seasonal energy demands caused by climate change.
![Scott Stewart. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-09/Scott%20Stewart%202022-P04587.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=AV_0ZhEv)
Though Scott Stewart recently received an Early Career Award from the Institute of Nuclear Material Management, he is regarded as a seasoned professional in the nuclear field with over 10 years of experience.
![Matt McCarthy uses images collected from the sky to interpret changes to the coastlines and oceans for national security research. Credit: Carlos Jones and Rachel Green/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-08/mccarthy_0.png?h=9d172ced&itok=IRWo-fXz)
When Matt McCarthy saw an opportunity for a young career scientist to influence public policy, he eagerly raised his hand.
![Melton Hill Dam](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-08/Melton%20Hill%20Dam_Thumbnail.jpg?h=10d202d3&itok=2XzUkPIq)
To further the potential benefits of the nation’s hydropower resources, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed and maintain a comprehensive water energy digital platform called HydroSource.
![Sophie Voisin, an ORNL software engineer, was part of a team that won a 2014 R&D 100 Award for work on Intelligent Software for a Personalized Modeling of Expert Opinions, Decisions and Errors in Visual Examination Tasks. Credit: Jason Richards/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-08/algo-crop2.jpg?h=384d27f0&itok=qfe3b2Fx)
Cameras see the world differently than humans. Resolution, equipment, lighting, distance and atmospheric conditions can impact how a person interprets objects on a photo.
![ORNL identity science researcher Nell Barber works on a facial recognition camera. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-07/Picture1.jpg?h=47322e82&itok=CTajZTiF)
Though Nell Barber wasn’t sure what her future held after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she now uses her interest in human behavior to design systems that leverage machine learning algorithms to identify faces in a crowd.
![non-powered dam](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-07/hydropower-resized_0.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=SQEPNh78)
Although more than 92,000 dams populate the country, the vast majority — about 89,000 — do not generate electricity through hydropower.
![From left, Craig Moss, Major Micah McCracken, Tim Delk and Lt. Col. Jessica Critcher pose with awards given at a small ceremony recognizing ORNL’s 2022 military fellows. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-06/2022-P04860.jpg?h=036a71b7&itok=PzCc8Wp-)
In front of family and friends, Lt. Col. Jessica Critcher and Maj. Micah McCracken gave their final report on their eye-opening year as ORNL military fellows.
![ORNL researchers deploy a gas trap to measure ebullitive (bubbling) emissions of methane at the Melton Dam in East Tennessee. The trap is deployed for ~ 24 hours to allow gas to accumulate in the trap. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, US Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-06/2022-P04233.jpg?h=c6980913&itok=rKz5qh7F)
As the United States moves toward more sustainable and renewable sources of energy, hydropower is expected to play a pivotal role in integrating more intermittent renewables like wind and solar to the electricity grid