Ukukhathazeka ngokushintsha kwesimo sezulu kulethe ukugxila okusha ekukhiqizweni kwamandla kagesi asebenzisa amanzi njengendlela engase ithathe indawo kagesi ovela kumafutha emvelo. Amandla kagesi asebenzisa amanzi njengamanje aqukethe cishe u-6% kagesi okhiqizwa e-United States, futhi ukukhiqizwa kukagesi ovela kumandla kagesi asebenzisa amanzi akukhiphi ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni. Kodwa-ke, njengoba iningi lemithombo kagesi kagesi emikhulu, yendabuko kakade isithuthukisiwe, kungase kube nesizathu samandla ahlanzekile sokuthuthukiswa kwemithombo kagesi kagesi emincane nephansi manje.
Ukukhiqizwa kwamandla emifuleni nasemifudlaneni akuyona into engenakuphikiswana, futhi ikhono lokukhiqiza amandla avela kule mithombo kuzodingeka lilinganiswe nokukhathazeka ngezemvelo nezinye izintshisekelo zomphakathi. Lokho kulinganisela kungasizwa ucwaningo ngobuchwepheshe obusha kanye nemithethonqubo yokucabanga kusengaphambili ekhuthaza ukuthuthukiswa kwalezi zinsiza ngezindlela ezingabizi kakhulu nezinobungani nemvelo eziqaphela ukuthi izikhungo ezinjalo, uma sezakhiwe, zingahlala okungenani iminyaka engama-50.
Ucwaningo lokusebenziseka kwe-Idaho National Laboratory ngo-2006 lwethule ukuhlolwa kwamandla okuthuthukiswa kwemithombo yamandla amancane nangaphansi kwamandla okuphehla ugesi ngamanzi e-United States. Cishe izindawo ezingu-5,400 kwezingu-100,000 zatholakala ukuthi zinamandla amaphrojekthi amancane amanzi (okungukuthi, ukuhlinzeka ngama-Megawatts aphakathi kuka-1 no-30 wamandla aphakathi ngonyaka). UMnyango Wezamandla wase-US walinganisela ukuthi la maphrojekthi (uma ethuthukiswa) azoholela ekukhuleni okungaphezu kuka-50% kokuphehla ugesi ngamanzi. Amandla kagesi aphansi ngamandla ngokuvamile abhekisela ezindaweni ezinenhloko (okungukuthi, umehluko wokuphakama) engaphansi kwamamitha amahlanu (cishe amamitha angu-16).
Izikhungo zikagesi wamanzi ezisebenza emfuleni ngokuvamile zithembele ekugelezeni kwemvelo kwemifula nemifudlana, futhi ziyakwazi ukusebenzisa amanzi amancane ngaphandle kwesidingo sokwakha amachibi amakhulu. Ingqalasizinda eyenzelwe ukuhambisa amanzi emifuleni efana nemisele, imisele yokunisela, imisele yamanzi, kanye namapayipi nayo ingasetshenziselwa ukukhiqiza ugesi. Amavalvu okunciphisa ukucindezela asetshenziswa ezinhlelweni zokuphakelwa kwamanzi kanye nasezimbonini ukunciphisa ukunqwabelana komfutho woketshezi kuvalvu noma ukunciphisa ukucindezela kuze kube sezingeni elifanele ukusetshenziswa yisistimu yamanzi amakhasimende anikeza amathuba engeziwe okukhiqizwa kukagesi.
Imithetho eminingana elindile okwamanje ePhalamende yokunciphisa ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye namandla ahlanzekile ihlose ukusungula indinganiso yamandla avuselelekayo kahulumeni (noma ugesi) (RES). Ebaluleke kakhulu phakathi kwalawa yi-HR 2454, i-American Clean Energy and Security Act ka-2009, kanye ne-S. 1462, i-American Clean Energy Leadership Act ka-2009. Ngaphansi kweziphakamiso zamanje, i-RES izodinga abahlinzeki bakagesi abathengisayo ukuthi bathole amaphesenti akhulayo kagesi ovuselelekayo ngamandla abawanikeza amakhasimende. Nakuba ugesi wamanzi ngokuvamile ubhekwa njengomthombo ohlanzekile wamandla kagesi, ubuchwepheshe be-hydrokinetic kuphela (obuthembele emanzini ahambayo) kanye nokusetshenziswa okulinganiselwe kwamandla kagesi wamanzi obungafanelekela i-RES. Njengoba kunikezwe ulimi lwamanje kumithetho elindile, akunakwenzeka ukuthi amaphrojekthi amaningi amasha kagesi angaphansi komhlaba kanye namanzi amancane ageleza emfuleni angahlangabezana nezidingo "zamandla kagesi afanelekile" ngaphandle kokuthi la maphrojekthi afakwe emadamini angewona awamanzi akhona.
Njengoba amaphrojekthi amancane uma kuqhathaniswa nezindleko zokuthuthukiswa kwamandla kagesi amancane naphansi, amazinga okukhuthaza ugesi akhiqizwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi angandisa ukwenzeka kwephrojekthi ngokusekelwe ekuthengisweni kwamandla. Ngakho-ke, ngenqubomgomo yamandla ahlanzekile njengembangela, izinzuzo zikahulumeni zingaba usizo. Ukuthuthukiswa okwengeziwe kwamandla kagesi amancane naphansi ngezinga elikhulu cishe kuzovela kuphela ngenxa yenqubomgomo kazwelonke ehlose ukukhuthaza imigomo yamandla ahlanzekile.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Agasti-05-2021
