Hydroelectricity is, as of 2019, the second-largest renewable source of energy in both generation and nominal capacity (behind wind power) in the United States. [1] In 2021, hydroelectric power produced 31.5% of the total renewable electricity, and 6.3% of the total U.S. electricity. [2]
According to the International Hydropower Association, the United States is the 3rd largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world in 2021 after Brazil and China. [3] Total installed capacity for 2020 was 102.8 GW. The installed capacity was 80 GW in 2015. The amount of hydroelectric power generated is strongly affected by changes in precipitation and surface runoff. [4]
Hydroelectric stations exist in at least 34 US states. The largest concentration of hydroelectric generation in the US is in the Columbia River basin, which in 2012 was the source of 44% of the nation's hydroelectricity. [5] Hydroelectricity projects such as Hoover Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, and the Tennessee Valley Authority have become iconic large construction projects.
Of note, however, is that California does not consider power generated from large hydroelectric facilities (facilities greater than 30 megawatts) to meet its strictest definition of "renewable", due to concerns over the environmental impact of large hydroelectric projects. As such, electricity generated from large hydroelectric facilities does not count toward California's strict Renewable Portfolio Standards, even though other states recognize that water is a renewable resource in the hydrological cycle. Roughly about 10 to 15 percent of California's energy generation is from large hydroelectric generation that is not RPS-eligible. [6]
The significant impact of dams on the power sector, water use, river flow, and environmental concerns requires significant policy specific to hydropower.
The earliest hydroelectric power generation in the U.S. was utilized for lighting and employed the better understood direct current (DC) system to provide the electrical flow. It did not flow far however, with ten miles being the system's limit; solving electricity's transmission problems would come later and be the greatest incentive to the new hydroelectric water-power developments. [7]
The first DC powerhouse was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the water turbine at the Wolverine Chair factory was attached to a dynamo using a mechanical belt drive to illuminate sixteen street lights. [8] [9] This occurred in 1880, the same year Thomas Edison produced the long-lasting incandescent filament light bulb, which was a safety and convenience improvement over existing candles, whale oil lamps and kerosene lamps inside buildings. In 1881, also using DC for lighting at Niagara Falls, Jacob F. Schoellkopf diverted part of the output from his waterwheel-powered flour mills to drive one of Charles Brush's improved generators to provide nighttime illumination for the tourists. Previously the attraction had been illuminated by burning bright calcium flares but arc-lights proved a better and cheaper alternative. [9]
In 1882, the world's first commercial central DC hydroelectric power plant provided power for a paper mill in Appleton, Wisconsin. [10] Just months later the first investor-owned electric utility, Edison Illuminating Company, completed the first fossil fueled electrical power plant in New York City, to compete with hydroelectric power close to an area of high demand. By 1886, between 40 and 50 hydroelectric stations were operating in the United States and in Canada. By 1888, about 200 electric companies relied on hydropower for at least part of their generation. [9] The United States used more hydropower than any other state at the time. [11]
Recognizing that the great hydroelectric potential of the Falls exceeded the local demand for electricity, a large power company was established nonetheless at the prime location for development; it awaited the prospect of an effective long-distance power transmission system. Westinghouse Electric won the competition, developing their plans around an alternating current system. The station was completed in 1895 and in 1896, electricity transmission 20 miles away to Buffalo, New York began. This event also began the rise to dominance of the AC system over Thomas Edison's direct current methods. Multiple permanent hydropower stations still exist on both the American and Canadian sides of the Falls, including the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant, the third largest in the United States.
The need to provide rural development in the early 20th century was often coupled to the availability of electric power and led to large-scale projects like the Tennessee Valley Authority which created numerous dams and, sometimes controversially, flooded large areas. In the 1930s, the need for power in the Southwest led to the building of the largest concrete construction in the world at that time, the Hoover Dam. The Grand Coulee Dam was both a power and irrigation project of the 1930s that was expanded for military industrial reasons during World War II, which also saw other dams such as the TVA's Fontana Dam built.
Dam building peaked in the 1960s and few dams were built in the 1970s. The growing awareness of environmental issues with dams saw the removal of some older and smaller dams and the installation of fish ladders at others. The enormous Rampart Dam was canceled in 1967 due to environmental and economic concerns. Instead of new dams, repowering old stations has increased the capacity of several facilities. For instance, Hoover Dam replaced its generators between 1986 and 1993. The need to alter downstream waterflow for ecological reasons (eliminating invasive species, sedimentation, etc.) has led to regulated seasonal drawdowns at some dams, changing the availability of water for power generation. Droughts and increased agricultural use of water can also lead to generation limits.
According to a United States Department of Energy report, [12] there exists over 12,000 MW of potential hydroelectricity capacity in the US existing 80,000 unpowered dams. Harnessing the currently unpowered dams could generate 45 TWhr/yr, equivalent to 16 percent of 2008 hydroelectricity generation.
According to a 2022 study, hydroelectric dams constructed prior to 1950 spurred short-run local economic growth due to cheaper power for localities. After 1950, the impact of hydropower dams on localities was more muted, most likely due to innovations such as high-tension transmission lines which dispersed the energy produced by dams to larger areas. [13]
Another application of hydroelectricity is Pumped-storage hydroelectricity which does not create a net gain in power, but enables peak demand balancing. Water is pumped from a lower elevation source into a higher one and only released through generators when electric demand is high. In 2009 the United States had 21.5 GW of pumped storage generating capacity, accounting for 2.5% of baseload generating capacity. [14] This increased to a total of 22,878 MW in 2019 and 22,894 MW in 2020. [15]
Bath County Pumped Storage Station is the largest such facility in the world. Other stations of this type include Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant, Bear Swamp Hydroelectric Power Station and Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant on Lake Michigan, previously the largest in the world.
No significant tidal power plants exist in the United States. A project was proposed and run by the Snohomish County PUD in Washington but was ended when trouble was encountered obtaining enough funding. [16]
This is a list of the ten largest hydroelectric power stations in the United States by installed capacity.
Installed conventional hydroelectric generating capacity since 2000 (MW) [26] [15] |
Year | Summer capacity (GW) | Electricity generation (TWh) | Capacity factor | Yearly growth of generating capacity | Yearly growth of produced energy | Portion of renewable electricity | Portion of total electricity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 79.85 | 273.7 | |||||
2018 | 79.89 | 291.72 | 0.417 | 0.12% | -2.7% | 40.9% | 7.0% |
2017 | 79.79 | 300.05 | 0.430 | -0.2% | 12% | 43.7% | 7.44% |
2016 | 79.92 | 267.81 | 0.383 | 0.3% | 7.50% | 43.9% | 6.57% |
2015 | 79.66 | 249.08 | 0.357 | 0.56% | -4.0% | 45.77% | 6.11% |
2014 | 79.24 | 258.75 | 0.373 | 0.05% | -3.66% | 47.93% | 6.32% |
2013 | 79.22 | 268.57 | 0.387 | 0.64% | -2.78% | 51.44% | 6.61% |
2012 | 78.7 | 276.24 | 0.401 | 0.06% | -13.50% | 55.85% | 6.82% |
2011 | 78.65 | 319.36 | 0.464 | -0.23% | 22.74% | 62.21% | 7.79% |
2010 | 78.83 | 260.2 | 0.377 | 0.39% | -4.85% | 60.88% | 6.31% |
2009 | 78.52 | 273.45 | 0.398 | 0.76% | 7.31% | 65.47% | 6.92% |
2008 | 77.93 | 254.83 | 0.373 | 0.05% | 2.96% | 66.90% | 6.19% |
2007 | 77.89 | 247.51 | 0.363 | 0.09% | -14.43% | 70.18% | 5.95% |
2006 | 77.82 | 289.25 | 0.424 | 0.36% | 7.00% | 74.97% | 7.12% |
2005 | 77.54 | 270.32 | 0.398 | -0.13% | 0.71% | 75.57% | 6.67% |
2004 | 77.64 | 268.42 | 0.395 | -1.33% | -2.68% | 76.36% | 6.76% |
2003 | 275.8 | ||||||
2002 | 264.33 | ||||||
2001 | 216.96 | ||||||
2000 | 275.57 |
Year | Total | % of total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 216,962 | 18,852 | 17,473 | 20,477 | 18,013 | 19,176 | 20,728 | 18,079 | 18,914 | 15,256 | 15,235 | 15,413 | 19,346 | |
2002 | 264,331 | 21,795 | 20,192 | 21,009 | 24,247 | 26,663 | 28,213 | 25,471 | 21,084 | 17,087 | 17,171 | 19,730 | 21,669 | |
2003 | 275,804 | 20,600 | 19,780 | 24,202 | 24,759 | 29,395 | 28,586 | 24,843 | 22,972 | 18,480 | 18,428 | 19,715 | 24,044 | |
2004 | 268,417 | 22,983 | 20,914 | 22,914 | 20,888 | 24,020 | 25,252 | 23,318 | 21,592 | 20,525 | 18,863 | 20,937 | 26,211 | |
2005 | 270,322 | 24,272 | 21,607 | 22,936 | 23,058 | 27,279 | 26,783 | 25,957 | 21,566 | 17,364 | 18,006 | 19,353 | 22,141 | |
2006 | 289,246 | 27,437 | 24,762 | 24,625 | 28,556 | 30,818 | 29,757 | 25,439 | 21,728 | 17,201 | 17,055 | 20,272 | 21,596 | |
2007 | 247,512 | 26,045 | 18,567 | 24,163 | 23,891 | 26,047 | 22,817 | 22,478 | 19,941 | 14,743 | 14,796 | 15,682 | 18,342 | |
2008 | 254,830 | 20,779 | 18,789 | 21,669 | 22,234 | 27,221 | 29,177 | 25,555 | 21,229 | 16,178 | 15,470 | 15,668 | 20,861 | |
2009 | 273,445 | 23,490 | 17,812 | 21,827 | 25,770 | 29,560 | 29,233 | 23,385 | 19,580 | 17,359 | 19,691 | 21,008 | 24,730 | |
2010 | 260,204 | 22,383 | 20,590 | 20,886 | 19,097 | 25,079 | 29,854 | 24,517 | 20,119 | 17,265 | 17,683 | 19,562 | 23,169 | |
2011 | 319,355 | 25,531 | 24,131 | 31,134 | 31,194 | 32,587 | 32,151 | 31,285 | 25,764 | 21,378 | 19,787 | 20,681 | 23,732 | |
2012 | 276,240 | 6.82% | 23,107 | 20,284 | 25,907 | 26,295 | 28,641 | 26,658 | 26,491 | 23,034 | 17,604 | 16,502 | 18,733 | 22,984 |
2013 | 268,565 | 6.61% | 24,829 | 20,418 | 20,534 | 25,097 | 28,450 | 27,384 | 27,255 | 21,633 | 16,961 | 17,199 | 17,677 | 21,128 |
2014 | 259,366 | 6.34% | 21,634 | 17,396 | 24,257 | 25,440 | 26,544 | 25,744 | 24,357 | 19,807 | 16,074 | 17,159 | 18,625 | 22,329 |
2015 | 249,079 | 6.11% | 24,138 | 22,286 | 24,281 | 22,471 | 20,125 | 20,414 | 21,014 | 19,122 | 16,094 | 16,630 | 19,338 | 23,166 |
2016 | 267,813 | 6.57% | 25,615 | 24,139 | 27,390 | 25,878 | 25,486 | 23,237 | 21,455 | 19,570 | 16,368 | 17,339 | 18,808 | 22,528 |
2017 | 300,332 | 7.44% | 26,628 | 23,882 | 29,613 | 29,409 | 32,607 | 30,575 | 26,598 | 22,034 | 19,152 | 17,698 | 19,888 | 22,248 |
2018 | 292,524 | 7% | 25,064 | 24,902 | 25,861 | 28,115 | 30,444 | 27,597 | 25,100 | 22,017 | 19,166 | 19,548 | 21,913 | 22,797 |
2019 | 287,875 | 6.98% | 24,798 | 22,881 | 26,334 | 27,820 | 31,982 | 28,078 | 24,875 | 22,579 | 18,526 | 18,306 | 20,218 | 21,478 |
2020 | 285,274 | 7.11% | 24,498 | 25,868 | 23,823 | 23,194 | 29,976 | 27,999 | 26,742 | 23,284 | 18,679 | 18,810 | 20,893 | 21,508 |
2021 | 260,225 | 6.33% | 25,814 | 21,624 | 21,574 | 19,201 | 22,795 | 24,075 | 22,113 | 20,954 | 17,966 | 17,999 | 20,460 | 25,650 |
2022 | 261,999 | 6.17% | 26,213 | 22,904 | 25,356 | 19,573 | 23,071 | 26,892 | 24,193 | 21,617 | 16,812 | 14,638 | 18,764 | 21,870 |
2023 | 128,456 | 6.51% | 22,954 | 19,338 | 20,630 | 17,917 | 27,983 | 19,632 | ||||||
Last entry, % of Total | 6.61% | 6.23% | 6.25% | 5.97% | 8.54% | 5.5% | 5.71% | 5.24% | 4.79% | 5.97% | 5.81% | 6.01% |
Year | Total | % of total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | -8,825 | -589 | -707 | -773 | -796 | -623 | -774 | -871 | -715 | -928 | -615 | -811 | -623 | |
2002 | -8,744 | -750 | -586 | -684 | -585 | -539 | -863 | -998 | -935 | -777 | -681 | -666 | -680 | |
2003 | -8,535 | -802 | -759 | -778 | -546 | -597 | -762 | -745 | -806 | -769 | -615 | -695 | -661 | |
2004 | -8,488 | -768 | -692 | -653 | -669 | -689 | -718 | -693 | -818 | -770 | -703 | -665 | -650 | |
2005 | -6,558 | -725 | -346 | -497 | -338 | -466 | -415 | -625 | -623 | -680 | -611 | -554 | -678 | |
2006 | -6,558 | -533 | -447 | -435 | -587 | -444 | -423 | -638 | -695 | -629 | -507 | -553 | -667 | |
2007 | -6,897 | -572 | -447 | -458 | -374 | -547 | -523 | -595 | -651 | -743 | -760 | -662 | -565 | |
2008 | -6,289 | -746 | -451 | -553 | -132 | -587 | -372 | -799 | -648 | -517 | -497 | -489 | -498 | |
2009 | -4,626 | -501 | -413 | -315 | -272 | -349 | -226 | -491 | -613 | -348 | -385 | -330 | -383 | |
2010 | -5,502 | -565 | -351 | -325 | -335 | -441 | -472 | -557 | -600 | -421 | -438 | -467 | -530 | |
2011 | -6,422 | -659 | -413 | -349 | -466 | -417 | -567 | -708 | -692 | -583 | -601 | -458 | -509 | |
2012 | -4,951 | -348 | -237 | -281 | -265 | -371 | -507 | -619 | -529 | -431 | -378 | -409 | -576 | |
2013 | -4,682 | -465 | -320 | -462 | -292 | -334 | -358 | -340 | -465 | -439 | -373 | -413 | -421 | |
2014 | -6,174 | -290 | -445 | -421 | -378 | -601 | -653 | -545 | -840 | -542 | -448 | -531 | -480 | |
2015 | -5,090 | -551 | -456 | -409 | -214 | -370 | -398 | -513 | -626 | -544 | -443 | -285 | -281 | |
2016 | -6,687 | -312 | -399 | -384 | -452 | -321 | -497 | -784 | -902 | -715 | -561 | -607 | -753 | |
2017 | -6,494 | -435 | -508 | -521 | -439 | -423 | -568 | -759 | -638 | -606 | -463 | -478 | -656 | |
2018 | -5,903 | -547 | -315 | -490 | -377 | -390 | -433 | -644 | -747 | -603 | -492 | -343 | -522 | |
2019 | -5,260 | -323 | -389 | -409 | -103 | -368 | -385 | -622 | -579 | -671 | -373 | -509 | -529 | |
2020 | -5,323 | -377 | -247 | -353 | -325 | -367 | -499 | -686 | -784 | -525 | -423 | -369 | -368 | |
2021 | -5,112 | -424 | -425 | -236 | -197 | -416 | -376 | -685 | -670 | -434 | -427 | -377 | -445 | |
2022 | -6,034 | -493 | -412 | -318 | -265 | -467 | -591 | -768 | -640 | -598 | -434 | -495 | -554 | |
2023 | -2,953 | -611 | -448 | -538 | -313 | -483 | -560 |
There are over 80,000 Non-powered dams (NPDs) in the United States that could add 12 GW of nameplate capacity or 45 terawatt hours (TWh) per year. The top 100 NPDs alone could add 8 GW, which could add 15% to hydroelectric generation of the 78 GW that was online in 2012. 81 of the top 100 NPDs are owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation owns NPDs that could generate 260 MW. [32] [33]
Dam Name | Owner name | City | County | State | River Name | Year completed | Estimated Head (feet) | Flow (cfs) | Generation (MWh) | Estimated Potential Nameplate Capacity (MW) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John T. Myers Locks and Dam | Corps of Engineers | UNIONTOWN | UNION | KY / IN | OHIO | 1975 | 18.0 | 147,134 | 1,661,216 | 395.2 |
Newburgh Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | SCUFFLETOWN | HENDERSON | KY / IN | OHIO | 1975 | 16.0 | 133,554 | 1,340,348 | 318.9 |
Melvin Price Locks and Dam | Corps of Engineers | ALTON | MADISON | IL / MO | MISSISSIPPI | 1990 | 24.0 | 97,508 | 1,467,886 | 299.3 |
Coffeeville Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | COFFEEVILLE | CLARK | AL | TOMBIGBEE | 1962 | 34.0 | 26,470 | 564,511 | 241.7 |
Demopolis Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | DEMOPOLIS | MARENGO | AL | TOMBIGBEE | 1955 | 40.0 | 22,113 | 554,822 | 237.6 |
Claiborne Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | CLAIBORNE LANDING | MONROE | AL | ALABAMA | 1969 | 30.0 | 28,340 | 533,297 | 228.3 |
Red River Lock and Dam No. 3 | Corps of Engineers | COLFAX | NATCHITOCHES | LA | RED | 1991 | 31.0 | 30,192 | 587,080 | 187.0 |
David D. Terry Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | PINE BLUFF | PULASKI | AR | ARKANSAS | 1968 | 18.0 | 45,857 | 517,745 | 164.9 |
Joe Hardin Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | GRADY | LINCOLN | AR | ARKANSAS | 1968 | 20.0 | 48,420 | 607,436 | 161.0 |
Colonel Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | REDFIELD | JEFFERSON | AR | ARKANSAS | 1968 | 17.0 | 45,970 | 490,195 | 156.1 |
Lock and Dam No. 25 | Corps of Engineers | WINFIELD | LINCOLN | MO / IL | MISSISSIPPI | 1939 | 15.0 | 76,764 | 722,259 | 147.3 |
Lock and Dam No. 24 | Corps of Engineers | CLARKSVILLE | PIKE | MO / IL | MISSISSIPPI | 1940 | 15.0 | 76,366 | 718,512 | 146.5 |
Toad Suck Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | CONWAY | FAULKNER | AR | ARKANSAS | 1969 | 16.0 | 45,336 | 454,988 | 144.9 |
Russell B. Long Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | GRAND ECORE | NATCHITOCHES | LA | RED | 1995 | 25.0 | 28,663 | 449,465 | 143.1 |
W. D. Mayo Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | FORT COFFEE | LE FLORE | OK | ARKANSAS | 1970 | 21.0 | 32,145 | 423,426 | 134.9 |
Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | PINE BLUFF | JEFFERSON | AR | ARKANSAS | 1968 | 14.0 | 46,007 | 404,007 | 128.7 |
Joe D. Waggonner Jr. Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | SIMMESPORT | CATAHOULA | LA | RED | 1985 | 25.0 | 25,242 | 395,825 | 126.1 |
John Overton Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | SIMMESPORT | RAPIDES | LA | RED | 1987 | 24.0 | 31,322 | 471,522 | 125.0 |
Jonesville Lock and Dam | Corps of Engineers | SIMMESPORT | CATAHOULA | LA | BLACK | 1972 | 30.0 | 24,577 | 462,472 | 122.6 |
Millwood Dam | Corps of Engineers | ASHDOWN | LITTLE RIVER | AR | LITTLE | 1966 | 74.0 | 6,818 | 316,458 | 100.8 |
Montgomery Locks and Dam | Corps of Engineers | MONACA | BEAVER | PA | OHIO | 1936 | 18.0 | 37,166 | 419,626 | 99.8 |
Mississippi River Lock and Dam No. 22 | Corps of Engineers | SAVERTON | RALLS | MO / IL | MISSISSIPPI | 1938 | 10.0 | 74,224 | 465,570 | 94.9 |
|
|
|
US renewables:
General:
International:
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Small hydro is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale suitable for local community and industry, or to contribute to distributed generation in a regional electricity grid. Exact definitions vary, but a "small hydro" project is less than 50 megawatts (MW), and can be further subdivide by scale into "mini" (<1MW), "micro" (<100 kW), "pico" (<10 kW). In contrast many hydroelectric projects are of enormous size, such as the generating plant at the Three Gorges Dam at 22,500 megawatts or the vast multiple projects of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH), or pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for load balancing. A PSH system stores energy in the form of gravitational potential energy of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. Low-cost surplus off-peak electric power is typically used to run the pumps. During periods of high electrical demand, the stored water is released through turbines to produce electric power.
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower. Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also more than nuclear power. Hydropower can provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity on demand, making it a key element for creating secure and clean electricity supply systems. A hydroelectric power station that has a dam and reservoir is a flexible source, since the amount of electricity produced can be increased or decreased in seconds or minutes in response to varying electricity demand. Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, it produces no direct waste, and almost always emits considerably less greenhouse gas than fossil fuel-powered energy plants. However, when constructed in lowland rainforest areas, where part of the forest is inundated, substantial amounts of greenhouse gases may be emitted.
Japan is a major consumer of energy, ranking fifth in the world by primary energy use. Fossil fuels accounted for 88% of Japan's primary energy in 2019. Japan imports most of its energy due to scarce domestic resources. As of 2022, the country imports 97% of its oil and is the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer globally.
The Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power station in Lewiston, New York, near Niagara Falls. Owned and operated by the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the plant diverts water from the Niagara River above Niagara Falls and returns the water into the lower portion of the river near Lake Ontario. It uses 13 generators at an installed capacity of 2,525 MW (3,386,000 hp) with an average annual net generation of 15,897,000 MWh between 2014 and 2023, and a capacity factor of 71.9%.
The Tarnița–Lăpuștești Hydropower Plant is a proposed hydroelectric pumped-storage project on the Someșul Cald River in Cluj County, Romania. If built it would be the largest hydro-electric load balancing system in Romania. During the night, when the demand is low and electricity is cheap because of powerplants which generate electricity continuously, such as the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, it will use electricity to pump water up the hill, while during the day, it will use the hydro energy to generate electricity.
The United States has the second largest electricity sector in the world, with 4,178 Terawatt-hours of generation in 2023. In 2023 the industry earned $491b in revenue at an average price of $0.127/kWh.
India is 5th globally for installed hydroelectric power capacity. As of 31 March 2020, India's installed utility-scale hydroelectric capacity was 46,000 MW, or 12.3% of its total utility power generation capacity. Additional smaller hydroelectric power units with a total capacity of 4,683 MW have been installed. India's hydroelectric power potential is estimated at 148,700 MW at 60% load factor. In the fiscal year 2019–20, the total hydroelectric power generated in India was 156 TWh with an average capacity factor of 38.71%.
As of 2018, hydroelectric power stations in the United Kingdom accounted for 1.87 GW of installed electrical generating capacity, being 2.2% of the UK's total generating capacity and 4.2% of UK's renewable energy generating capacity. This includes four conventional hydroelectric power stations and run-of-river schemes for which annual electricity production is approximately 5,000 GWh, being about 1.3% of the UK's total electricity production. There are also four pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations providing a further 2.8 GW of installed electrical generating capacity, and contributing up to 4,075 GWh of peak demand electricity annually.
Energy is a major area of the economy of California. California is the state with the largest population and the largest economy in the United States. It is second in energy consumption after Texas. As of 2018, per capita consumption was the fourth-lowest in the United States partially because of the mild climate and energy efficiency programs.
Hydroelectricity is the second most important renewable energy source after solar energy in Japan with an installed capacity of 50.0 gigawatt (GW) as of 2019. According to the International Hydropower Association Japan was the world's sixth largest producer of hydroelectricity in 2020. Most of Japanese hydroelectric power plants are pumped-storage plants. Conventional hydropower plants account for about 20 GW out of the total installed capacity as of 2007.
Hydroelectricity is currently China's largest renewable energy source and the second overall after coal. According to the International Hydropower Association, China is the worlds largest producer of hydroelectricity as of 2021. China's installed hydroelectric capacity in 2021 was 390.9 GW, including 36.4 GW of pumped storage hydroelectricity capacity, up from 233 GW in 2011. That year, hydropower generated 1,300 TWh of power, an increase of 68 TWh over 2018 when hydropower generated 1,232 TWh of power, accounting for roughly 18% of China's total electricity generation.
A gravity battery is a type of energy storage device that stores gravitational energy—the potential energy E given to an object with a mass m when it is raised against the force of gravity of Earth (g, 9.8 m/s²) into a height difference h.
California produces more renewable energy than any other state in the United States except Texas. In 2018, California ranked first in the nation as a producer of electricity from solar, geothermal, and biomass resources and fourth in the nation in conventional hydroelectric power generation. As of 2017, over half of the electricity (52.7%) produced was from renewable sources.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty |title=
(help)