Hydropower has great attractions for Africa. First like coal, nuclear, hydropower, and geothermal are base load power. Except for South Africa, which is highly dependent on coal and its two nuclear power plants, there are no other nuclear power plants in Africa and very few coal plants. So along with geothermal power in Kenya, hydropower is the main source of baseload power.
A report published by WWF and The Nature Conservancy earlier this month claims that hydropower is unnecessary for meeting global climate change and clean energy goals thanks to the dramatic cost decreases seen in the solar, wind, and storage sectors.
A discussion with Mihela Hladin Wolfe, Director of Environmental Initiatives, Patagonia Europe.
Dams are not a fatality, nor is this technology a problem in itself, but we should think of how to slowly move away from them, before we are moved by them.
A new report published by the US Department of Energy has hinted at a 50% growth in the country’s already impressive hydropower sector. In a new report published this week by the US Department of Energy (DOE), entitled Hydropower Vision: A New Chapter for America’s First Renewable Electricity Source, experts found … [continued]
The one thing everyone working on energy issues in America can agree upon is non-existent energy policy action at the national level. But late last week President Obama signed two bipartisan bills that could create a major boost for US renewables generation from an unlikely source – small hydropower.
It’s kind of amazing these bills becoming law hasn’t gotten much attention, since they’re the first real energy legislation to pass Congress since 2009, and could ultimately create 1.2 million green jobs while adding 60 gigawatts of new renewable electricity to the grid.
Brazil is planning to build 34 additional hydroelectric facilities in the Amazon by 2021 in an effort to increase Brazil’s national energy output by 50% or more. Total cost for their construction is over $150 billion. Over 6,000 square kilometers of land will be flooded when the dams are finished. … [continued]
The Sinohydro Group, a Chinese hydroelectric dam builder, has approved plans to construct a 40-megawatt photovoltaic solar farm in the Chinese province of Gansu. Located in the northwest of the country, the Gansu province lies between the Tibuetan and Huangtu plateaus. It borders Mongolia. Sinohydro’s board of directors has … [continued]
In less than a week, world leaders, government negotiators, industry, and civil society will converge on Doha, Qatar, for COP18. They will discuss how the global community can get itself out of the current climate mess. What’s clear is that, in terms of solutions, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) … [continued]
Climate change is bringing many uncertainties, especially to the world of water. No continent will be harder hit by climate change than Africa. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that African river basins will be especially affected by climate change, and are expected to face worse droughts … [continued]
