An Assessment of Energy Potential at Non-powered Dams In the United States

fleet by 15%. A majority of this potential is concentrated in just 100 NPDs, which could contribute
approximately 8 GW of clean, reliable hydropower; the top 10 facilities alone could add up to 3 GW of
new hydropower. Eighty-one of the 100 top NPDs are U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
facilities, many of which, including all of the top 10, are navigation locks on the Ohio River, Mississippi
River, Alabama River, and Arkansas River, as well as their major tributaries. This study also shows that
dams owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation hold the potential to add approximately 260 MW of
capacity; the Bureau has also engaged in an effort to conduct a more detailed evaluation of its own
facilities.