Recent growth in the renewable energy industry has increased government support for
alternative energy. In the United States, hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy and
also one of the most efficient. Currently, there are 30,000 megawatts of potential energy capacity
through small- and micro-hydro projects throughout the United States. Increased development of
micro-hydro could double America’s hydropower energy generation, but micro-hydro is not being
developed at the same rate as other renewable sources. Micro-hydro is regulated by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission and subject to the same regulation as large hydroelectric projects
despite its minimal environmental impact. We studied two cases of micro-hydro projects in Logan,
Utah, and Afton, Wyoming, which are both small rural communities. Both cases showed that the
web of federal regulation is likely discouraging the development of micro-hydro in the United States
by increasing the costs in time and funds for developers. Federal environmental regulation like the
National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and others are likely discouraging
the development of clean renewable energy through micro-hydro technology