Ukukhathazeka ngokushintsha kwesimo sezulu kulethe ukugxila okuvuselelwe ekwandeni kokukhiqizwa kwamandla kagesi njengendlela engase ithathelwe indawo ugesi ovela kumafutha ezinto ezimbiwa phansi. I-Hydropower njengamanje ibamba cishe u-6% kagesi okhiqizwa e-United States, futhi ukukhiqizwa kukagesi ovela emanzini akukhiqizi i-carbon. Kodwa-ke, njengoba izinsiza eziningi zikagesi ophehlwa ngamanzi ezivamile sezithuthukisiwe, isisekelo samandla ahlanzekile sokuthuthukiswa kwezinsiza zokuphehla amandla ngamanzi amancane naphansi angase abe khona manje.
Ukuphehlwa kwamandla emifuleni nasemifudlaneni akunayo impikiswano, futhi amandla okukhiqiza amandla avela kule mithombo kuzodingeka alinganisele ngokumelene nemvelo kanye nezinye izithakazelo zomphakathi. Leyo bhalansi ingasizwa ucwaningo ngobuchwepheshe obusha kanye nemithetho yokucabanga phambili ekhuthaza ukuthuthukiswa kwalezi zinsiza ngezindlela ezingabizi kakhulu, ezihambisana nemvelo eziqaphela ukuthi lezi zindawo uma sezakhiwe, zingahlala okungenani iminyaka engu-50.
Ucwaningo olunokwenzeka lweLabhorethri Kazwelonke yase-Idaho ngo-2006 lwethula uhlolo lwamandla okuthuthukiswa kwezinsiza zamandla amancane naphansi okukhiqiza ugesi ngamanzi e-United States. Cishe iziza eziyizi-5,400 kweziyi-100,000 zanqunywa ukuthi zibe namandla amaphrojekthi amancane aphehlwa ngamanzi (okungukuthi, ukuhlinzeka phakathi kukaMegawatts owodwa no-30 wamandla amaphakathi wonyaka). UMnyango Wezamandla wase-US ulinganisele ukuthi le miklamo (uma ithuthukiswa) izoholela ekwenyukeni okungaphezu kwama-50% engqikithini yokuphehlwa kukagesi ngamanzi. Amandla kagesi anekhanda eliphansi ngokuvamile abhekisela kumasayithi anekhanda (okungukuthi, umehluko wokuphakama) ongaphansi kwamamitha amahlanu (cishe amafidi angu-16).
Izikhungo zokuphehla ugesi ophuma emfuleni ngokuvamile zithembele ekugelezeni kwemvelo kwemifula nemifudlana, futhi ziyakwazi ukusebenzisa umthamo omncane wokugeleza kwamanzi ngaphandle kwesidingo sokwakha amachibi amakhulu. Ingqalasizinda eklanyelwe ukuhambisa amanzi emiseleni efana nemisele, imisele yokunisela, imisele yamanzi namapayipi ingase isetshenziswe ukuze kukhiqizwe ugesi. Amavalvu okwehlisa ingcindezi asetshenziswa ezinhlelweni zokuphakelwa kwamanzi kanye nezimboni ukuze kuncishiswe ukunqwabelana komfutho woketshezi kuvalvu noma ukwehlisa umfutho ube sezingeni elifanele ukusetshenziswa amakhasimende ohlelo lwamanzi anikeza amathuba engeziwe okukhiqiza ugesi.
Izikweletu ezimbalwa ezisalindile kuCongress zokunciphisa ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu namandla ahlanzekile zifuna ukusungula indinganiso yamandla avuselelekayo (noma ugesi) (RES). Okuhamba phambili phakathi kwalokhu yi-HR 2454, i-American Clean Energy and Security Act ka-2009, kanye no-S. 1462, uMthetho Wobuholi Obuhlanzekile BaseMelika ka-2009. Ngaphansi kweziphakamiso zamanje, i-RES izodinga abahlinzeki bakagesi abadayisayo ukuthi bathole amaphesenti andayo kagesi ovuselelekayo ngamandla abawanikezayo kumakhasimende. Nakuba amandla kagesi ngokuvamile abhekwa njengomthombo wamandla kagesi ohlanzekile, ubuchwepheshe be-hydrokinetic kuphela (obuthembele emanzini anyakazayo) kanye nezicelo ezilinganiselwe zamandla kagesi ezingafanelekela i-RES. Uma kubhekwa ulimi lwamanje ezikweletini ezisalindile, akunakwenzeka ukuthi amaphrojekthi amaningi aphehla umfula ogeleza kancane kanye namancane aphehla ugesi angahlangabezana nezidingo “zokuphehlwa ngamanzi afanelekayo” ngaphandle uma le miklamo ifakwe emadamini akhona angewona awaphehlwa ngamanzi.
Uma kubhekwa ubuncane bephrojekthi uma kuqhathaniswa nezindleko zokuthuthukiswa kwamandla kagesi amancane naphansi, amanani enzuzo kagesi akhiqizwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi angase andise ukuba nokwenzeka kwephrojekthi ngokusekelwe ekuthengisweni kukagesi. Ngakho-ke, ngenqubomgomo yamandla ahlanzekile njengomshayeli, izikhuthazo zikahulumeni zingase zibe usizo. Ukuthuthukiswa okuqhubekayo kokuphehlwa kwamanzi amancane naphansi ngezinga elibanzi cishe kuzofika kuphela ngenxa yenqubomgomo kazwelonke okuhloswe ngayo ukukhuthaza izinjongo zamandla ahlanzekile.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Aug-05-2021
