US hydropower

Researchers found that hydropower generation may generally increase with climate change, although some regions face drier conditions. (Photograph by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Hydropower Generation Projected to Rise, but Climate Change Brings Uncertain Future

A new analysis combines hydrology data with climate change models to help water managers prepare for hydropower’s future In a new study assessing how climate change might alter hydropower generation across the continental United States, researchers show that except for some parts of the Southwest, hydropower generation is expected to … [continued]

Photo by Andrew Baumgartner, U.S. Department of Energy.

How to Solve to 5 Major Gaps in U.S. Hydropower Supply Chain

A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy makes actionable recommendations to address five gaps in the domestic hydropower supply chain. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released a report that makes actionable recommendations to address five gaps in the domestic hydropower supply chain. Hydropower makes up about 27% of … [continued]

5-Step Plan to Support Smooth Transitions in the Hydropower Workforce

A New Resource is Equipping Hydropower Organizations With Tools That Can Facilitate Seamless Succession Planning and Promote Robust Knowledge Sharing Practices The good news: Hydropower’s reliability means it plays—and will continue to play—an important role in the electrical grid, supporting variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind. And existing … [continued]

U.S. Hydropower Generation Expected to Increase by 6% in 2024 Following Last Year’s Lows

Last year, U.S. hydropower electricity generation fell to its lowest since 2001. This year, we expect hydropower to increase 6% and account for 250 billion kilowatthours of electricity generation in the power sector, based on forecasts in our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). We expect hydropower to increase in nearly every part of the … [continued]

Western U.S. Hydropower Generation Fell to a 22-Year Low Last Year

According to preliminary data from our Electricity Data Browser, the least hydropower was generated in the western United States during the 2022–23 water year (October 1 through September 30) since at least 2001. Western region hydropower generation dropped by 11% from the previous water year to 141.6 million megawatthours (MWh). Hydropower generation in … [continued]

EIA Expects U.S. Annual Solar Electricity Generation To Surpass Hydropower in 2024

We forecast that the United States will generate 14% more electricity from solar energy than from hydroelectric facilities in 2024, according to our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). Our forecast is driven by continued growth in new utility-scale and small-scale solar facilities. For the first time in September 2022, the United States had … [continued]