INTERNA

TIONAL BOUNDAR

Y A ND WATER COMISSION COMISIÓN INTERNACIONAL DE LÍMITES Y AGUAS



### U.S. Commissioner Edward Drusina Good Neighbor Environmental Board

March 24, 2011 Washington, DC 

# Hydroelectric Power

– a Renewable Energy Source at the U.S
-Mexico Border

# PRESENTATION OUTLINE

 

## IBWC Mission  

## 1944 Water Treaty  

## Falcon and Amistad Dams  

## Reservoir and Power Production Data  

## Low
- Flow Power Generation  

## Dam Safety and Security  

## Work Conditions  

## Solar and Wind Power  

## Western Area Power Administration

# IBWC MISSION The International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is responsible for applying the boundary and water treaties between the two countries and settling differences that arise in their application.

# 1944 WATER TREATY

 Goal of the Treaty was to provide for the most complete and satisfactory utilization of the waters of the Rio Grande, Colorado, and Tijuana Rivers  Authorized construction of 3 international storage reservoirs on the Rio Grande  Specified the priority of uses of international waters; preference given to domestic and municipal uses, agriculture and stock raising, and electric power Amistad Dam on the Rio Grande

# 1944 WATER TREATY

 Article 7

– “The Commission shall study, investigate and prepare plans for generating hydroelectric energy which may be feasible to construct at the international storage dams on the Rio Grande.”  Power generated shall be shared equally by both countries  Two international storage dams were constructed ► Falcon Dam
- 1954 ► Amistad Dam
- 1969 Fa lcon Dam

# FALCON DAM

 Located 75 miles downstream from Laredo, TX  One powerhouse each on U.S. and Mexican sides  Total capacity of each powerhouse is 31,500 kilowatts  Per Treaty, power generated equally for both countries, regardless of ownership of water released  Black start plant used to restore power to the grid during outages U. S.Power Plant

# AMISTAD DAM

 Located at Del Rio,TX
Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila  U.S. power plant built in 1983 (hydropower capital cost not considered costeffective in 1960s)  Mexican power plant built in 1987  Total capacity of each power plant is 66,000 KW  Black start plant

# RESERVOIR SIZE

0 500000 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 3000000 3500000

Amistad Falcon Parker Elephant Butte **A C**  **R E**  **F E**  **E T**  **Reservoir Conservation Capacity**

# POWER PRODUCTION DATA

0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000

Amistad Falcon Parker Elephant Butte **Average Annual U.S. Power Production**

**MWh**

# ANNUAL POWER PRODUCTION

0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000 160000

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 **Annual Power Generation in MWh** 

Amistad Falcon

# LOW
-FLOW GENERATION

 

### During drought of the 1990s and early 2000s, releases were so low that water could not be run through the turbines and generators  

### IBWC has studied the feasibility of installing low
-flow generating units at both power plants  

### Proposed that funding come from WAPA, STEC, and Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission Tu rbine shaft at Amistad

# LOW
-FLOW GENERATION

 

## Proposed low
-flow units: ► On the Mexican side at Amistad
- $11.58 million ► On the U.S. side at Falcon
- $7.3 million  

## IBWC preparing Joint Report of the Principal Engineers this year to outline design and construction

Mexican facilities at Amistad

# DAM SAFETY

Amistad Dam

 

### Dam safety classification of “Urgent” due to seepage from naturally
- occurring sinkholes  

### IBWC expert consultants are developing recommendations to address dam safety problems  

### Report with recommended remediation work and cost estimates expected by 2013; costs of up to $500 million total U.S. and Mexico are possible

Amistad Dam 2010 flood releases

# DAM SECURITY

 

## US
- Mexico border region plagued with violence. ► Incidents on or near IBWC doorsteps:  murder of jet skier on Falcon Lake, gunfire, drug/human trafficking, discovery of dead bodies, piracy/thefts on the lakes... 

## ► Federal Law Enforcement Agencies stretched too thin to assist with facility/personnel security.

# DAM SECURITY

 

## Planned Security Upgrades ► Physical security
– fences, gates, locks ► Closed Circuit Television ► Alarm systems  

## Security Guard Program Improvements ► Increase number of guards ► New rigorous training program to better prepare them for challenges on the border ► Increase pay, reduce recruiting and retention challenges

# GREEN ENERGY INITIATIVE USIBWC Facilities Renovation
 

### New administration buildings for Amistad, Falcon, Lower Rio Grande, and San Diego offices  

### Green design to meet LEED platinum certification ► Lower operating costs ► Reduce waste to landfills ► Conserve energy and water ► Reduce greenhouse gases ► Demonstrate USIBWC environmental commitment LEED Building in Colorado Solar Panel Covered Pa rking

# GREEN ENERGY INITIATIVE USIBWC Facilities Renovation

 

### Investigating feasibility of wind turbine and photovoltaic solar systems  

### Will serve as a significant launch point for a long
term, USIBWC sustainability program  

### Serve as commitment to renewable energy initiatives Solar Array Pa nels

Wind Tu rbine

# WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION

 WAPA markets and delivers federal hydroelectric power across 15 western states, enough for 11 million homes  In 2008, hydropower provided 67% of U.S. renewable energy  Hydropower advantages ► Reliability ► Adaptability ► Low outage rates ► Generator longevity  Hydropower impacted by a decade of drought Hoover Dam/Lake Mead in 2007

# WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION

 WAPA
- marketed hydro plants in border states: ► Amistad and Falcon Dams (TX) ► Parker and Davis Dams (AZ) ► Hoover Dam (AZ, NV) ► Central Valley, 18 dams (CA) ► Washoe (NV, CA)
 Transmission Infrastructure Program ► Established in 2009 as a Recovery Act project ► Goal is to expand transmission grid for renewable energy Davis Dam

# CONCLUSIONS

 

### Hydropower is a viable renewable energy source in the border region but can be affected by drought  

### Projects are being developed to increase hydropower generation during drought  

### Federal government should continue to support maintenance of aging hydropower facilities  

### Dam safety and security issues must be addressedINTERNA

TIONAL BOUNDAR

Y A ND WATER COMISSION COMISIÓN INTERNACIONAL DE LÍMITES Y AGUAS



### USIBWC **4171 N. Mesa Street, Suite C** **- 100**  **El Paso, TX 79902 -**  **1441 www.ibwc.gov**  **(915) 832 -** **4100**