The government aims to achieve 31% renewable energy capacity by 2025 and 40% by 2035, with hydropower playing a significant role in meeting these targets. The 13th Five-Year Plan for the electricity sector outlines plans to add 60GW of new conventional hydropower capacity. Hydropower is the backbone of Ethiopia’s energy strategy with plans to become a regional electricity export hub by 2030.
- Where the river flows in a narrow steep gorge, the powerhouse may be located within the dam itself.
- In the world of electrical power, the watchword is “dispatchable.” It means the source of electricity has to be able to supply electricity to the grid when it is needed — not in a few hours, but right now this very minute.
- There would also be 150 million more tonnes of air polluting particulates emitted each year.
- Several projects are nearing completion that will nearly double India’s installed capacity from 4.7GW to 8GW.
- The Ministry of Mines and Energy has confirmed that six projects totalling 664MW will enter commercial operation between 2025 and 2027.
Energy 101: Hydropower
Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) exceeded expectations in its first 10 months of operation, generating over 2,700GWh of electricity – 26% more than projected. This performance, driven by improved water management and efficient turbine operation, already makes GERD responsible for around 16% of Ethiopia’s electricity generation. With two turbines currently active and 11 more planned, the dam is on track to become one of Africa’s largest sources of renewable power and a future pillar of regional energy exports. Malaysia’s National Energy Policy (2022–2040) designates hydroelectric power as a key technology for renewable energy development.
Smart Grids
It also means there is the potential for up to an additional 40% reduction to Hoover Dam’s hydropower generating capacity as early as this fall. At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, reduced water levels may further limit boating access and at the Grand Canyon, lower flow rates will affect rafting conditions and fishing may be more challenging. That report predicts the demand for electricity in Norway will increase six times faster than the creation of new power sources. “This could have major consequences for https://thestrip.ru/en/for-brunettes/skachat-programmu-dlya-sozdaniya-prezentacii-torrent-instrukciya-po-sozdaniyu/ domestic industry as well as limiting Norway’s ability to be a more significant partner to Europe’s changing energy needs,” DNV says. Systemwide storage across the Colorado River Basin has fallen to about 36% of capacity.
While the mechanism will be open to a range of technologies, several pumped storage projects are already moving forward in parallel, supported by targeted grants and regulatory approvals. At the start of 2025, Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered a halt to development activities – including hydropower – within all protected areas. The ruling covers 12 national parks, six conservation areas, one hunting reserve, one wildlife reserve and 13 buffer zones. The Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal noted https://holidaynewsletters.com/why-web-stork-is-the-best-choice-for-your-business.html the decision could affect nearly 300 hydropower projects and up to 20GW of potential capacity.
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A two-way tidal power system generates electricity from both the incoming and outgoing tides. A dam that creates a reservoir—diverts water to a run-of-river hydropower plant—may obstruct fish migration. A dam and reservoir can change natural water temperatures, water chemistry, river flow characteristics, and silt loads. These changes can affect the ecology and the physical characteristics of the river, which may negatively affect native plants and animals in and around the river. A number of pumped storage projects are currently in the early stages of development. A total of 11 major energy projects (~4,500MW) received DOE endorsement for grid impact studies in February 2025, with PSH projects constituting the bulk of this capacity.
During our last meeting with Russian energy specialists, we agreed to procure equipment directly from manufacturers, without intermediaries,” the minister said. In 2025, total consumption reached 19.3 billion kWh, up by 900 million kWh compared to the previous year. Domestic generation accounted for 15.4 billion kWh, while the remaining 3.9 billion kWh was covered through imports from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Bureau of Reclamation officials state they intend to reduce the annual release volume from Lake Powell to Lake Mead by 1.48 million acre feet through September 2026.
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The U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored research and development of turbines that could reduce fish deaths to lower than 2%, compared with fish kills of 5% to 10% for the best existing turbines. Reservoirs may also cover important natural areas, agricultural land, or archeological sites. The physical location of a dam or reservoir, the dam operations, or using the river’s water can change the environment over a much larger area than the reservoir.
Also in Energy and the environment explained
Many different methods and technologies for capturing and converting wave energy to electricity are under development. These methods include placing devices on or just below the surface of the water and anchoring devices to the ocean floor. San Gabán III (209.3MW) is located in Carabaya province, Puno, and is designed to generate approximately 1.25TWh annually.
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Several pumped storage projects are currently being developed with the goal of securing contracts in the soon-to-be-launched capacity market (MACSE). For example, in April 2024, Repower confirmed that its 600MW Campolattaro PSH project was awaiting final permitting approval. Just months later, in July, Edison and WeBuild announced plans to jointly develop the Pescopagano and Villarosa PSH projects, with a combined capacity of 500MW. Hydropower continues to produce almost 60% of Canada’s total annual electricity generation and represents more than half of its total installed capacity. In several provinces where hydropower is abundant, further expansion is seen as key to satisfying increasing energy needs. Argentina’s national hydroelectric capacity was revised down by 746MW in 2024, following a reclassification of the Yacyretá plant to reflect only the Argentine share.
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The government has proactively built dams for domestic supply and exports, achieving around 4.3GW hydro installed and 6.6GW under construction. The country’s electricity exports totalled US$82.3 million in 2024 as grid upgrades continue with a €20 million EBRD grant. Modernisation of units at the Nurek and Qayroqqum (Kairakkum) hydropower projects were completed in 2024. The Philippines is targeting an ambitious 35% renewable energy share by 2030 and 50% by 2040, up from 22.8% in 2022. Recent policies include the auctioning of 300MW of impounding hydro and 4,250MW of PSH projects, which attracted nearly 7GW in pumped storage bids.
The oldest and second-largest operating tidal power plant is in La Rance, France, with 240 MW of electricity-generation capacity. Canada has the third-largest tidal power plant, at 20 MW of electricity-generation capacity, which is in Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia. Most dams were constructed for irrigation and flood control and do not have hydroelectricity generators. The U.S. Department of Energy estimated that in 2012, non-powered dams in the United States had a total of 12,000 megawatts (MW) of potential hydropower capacity. Vietnam is actively developing its pumped storage hydropower capacity, with the 1,200MW Bac Ai Pumped Storage Plant currently under construction. Vietnam’s Power Development Plan VIII, initially approved in May 2023, underscores strong government support for hydropower, prioritising both traditional and pumped storage projects to enhance energy security and promote clean, sustainable growth.