Introduction
Hydropower, a renewable energy source that uses the force of water to generate electricity, has been called a 'forgotten giant' by the executive director of the International Energy Agency. In the United States, President Donald Trump has referred to hydropower as 'fantastic', in contrast to his views on solar and wind energy.
The Current State of Hydropower in the US
According to data from the Energy Information Administration, hydropower generation in the US increased by only 1.7% last year, compared to the previous year. Hydropower was the leading source of renewable energy in the US for a long time, but it was surpassed by wind energy in 2019 and solar energy in 2025.
Most hydropower plants in the US are over 50 years old, and some are over a century old. The last year in which more than 1,000 megawatts of hydropower capacity were added in the US was in 1985.
Recent Developments and Prospects
The president and CEO of the National Hydropower Association, Malcolm Woolf, says that hydropower has never been more important to the grid. The association is advocating for the streamlining of the process to renew expiring licenses for old hydropower plants and the expansion of loan guarantees and other aid for new ones.
Woolf also highlights the importance of hydropower and pumped hydro storage for meeting the growing demand for electricity from data centers and the need for tech companies to use carbon-free electricity to power these centers.
Conclusion
Hydropower is ripe for a renaissance in the US, but it remains to be seen if utilities and investors will find this form of renewable energy compelling compared to other options.
Source / Reference
Source: Inside Clean Energy