Operated by Grant Public Utility District (PUD), Priest Rapids is the lowermost dam in a cascading hydropower system on the Columbia River in Washington. Photo from Grant PUD.
NLR Modeling Shows Coordinated Operation of Mid-Columbia Hydropower Plants Could Boost Efficiency Systemwide By Karen Petersen, NLR Collaboration is essential to any successful river expedition. Turns out, it is no different in a cascaded hydropower system—especially one where different operators run dams, each with their own goals and needs. But … [continued]
Transporting large power transformers requires specialized vehicles and trailers that can support large and heavy loads and reach isolated areas over rough terrain. Photo from Nippon Express.
New Report Identifies 9 Unique Challenges That Hydropower Facilities Face When Upgrading or Replacing Large Power Transformers The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) just released a report examining the U.S. supply chain for large power transformers, or LPTs. The latest report, titled Large Power Transformer Supply Chain Gap Analysis and … [continued]
Over the 250-year history of our nation, energy consumption has evolved from wood use in the 18th and 19th centuries to today’s use of modern renewable, hydrocarbon, and nuclear technology. In 2025, total energy used in the United States was 96 quadrillion British thermal units (quads), up 2% from 2024, but below … [continued]
In our April Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we expect U.S. hydropower generation will increase by 5% in 2026 but remain 1.8% below the 10-year average following snow drought conditions in some states. Hydropower generation in 2025 increased to 245 billion kilowatthours (BkWh), about 4 BkWh more than the record-low generation year 2024. … [continued]
We expect U.S. hydropower generation will increase by 7.5% in 2025 but will remain 2.4% below the 10-year average in our May Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). Hydropower generation in 2024 fell to 241 billion kilowatthours (BkWh), the lowest since at least 2010; in 2025, we expect generation will be 259.1 BkWh. This … [continued]
Climate change grows year after year. Climate disruption becomes the norm, and then more disruption comes. We’re in a race against time, and time is winning. The good news is that renewable energy dominates new power capacity installations and new electricity generation. However, sometimes, renewable energy generation goes down, because … [continued]
Pumped hydropower is the basis for 96% of utility-scale energy storage capacity in the US, and it is ripe with potential for expansion.
Pumped hydropower is the basis for 96% of utility-scale energy storage capacity in the US, and it is ripe with potential for expansion.
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)
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]
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]
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]
