b'REGIONAL LeadershipBoosting Hydropower Flexibility As the nation seeks to expand renewable energy sources without compromising reliability, one option is more flexible (and profitable) hydropower. New research shows that integrating hydropower with energy storage devices (e.g., batteries or ultracapacitors) can provide the grid with reliable baseload stability and boost the revenue the plants generate. INL is leading work to explore how the flexibility that these integrated systems provide can enhance the grids reliability and resilience. At the same time, integration of energy storage can reduce wear and tear on the hydropower machinery, reducing maintenance costs and frequency of equipment failures.30'