[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 68 (Monday, May 14, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S3126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, a strong economy needs affordable, 
abundant, and reliable energy. In recent years, Americans have 
experienced higher prices for energy across the spectrum. This has led 
to an enormous growth in private and public research and development of 
innovative and advanced energy technologies. These innovative 
technologies include fuel from algae, solar, and wind generation, 
battery manufacturing, advanced nuclear, and many others.
  I recently had an opportunity to visit with Virgil Vanderloo, of 
Ackley, IA. It was immediately apparent that Virgil has a passion for 
new and innovative ideas regarding hydroelectric power generation. 
Virgil does not have an engineering background he is a retired farmer. 
For 30 years he farmed land in Hardin, Plymouth, and Woodbury Counties. 
It is because of this time as a farmer that Virgil came to appreciate 
the land and its rich natural resources. Now, he is pursing a concept 
to capture the power from our Nation's rivers to generate electricity.
  After speaking with Mr. Vanderloo and reviewing the material he 
compiled, he believes that his concept may have the potential to 
increase the production of hydroelectricity and capture a renewable 
energy source that currently goes uncollected. Mr. Vanderloo's concept 
includes placing barges below dams fitted with water turbines to 
produce electricity. He reasons that this type of electricity 
generation could be viable on the 30 or so dams along the Mississippi 
River. If viable, this concept could conceivably be implemented on many 
of the more than 50,000 nonpowered dams in the United States.
  After all, the U.S. Department of Energy just last month published a 
study that indicated the United States could get as much as 12 
gigawatts of energy per year by utilizing the hydropower potential of 
existing dams. The idea proposed by Virgil could be one the innovations 
in hydropower technologies that could help us use existing dams to 
generate renewable energy.
  I would like to make an appeal to hydroelectric designers and 
engineers to review the concept presented by Mr. Vanderloo. I have 
posted his information on the Internet which can be accessed at httP//
1.usa.gov/JlA5Ky. I hope those with scientific and engineering 
expertise in this area will review his proposal and contact him 
directly. It may have promise, and I hope this brings attention to his 
ideas regarding hydroelectric power generation.

                          ____________________