Journal
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
Volume 101, Issue -, Pages 112-122Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.10.028
Keywords
American rivers; River restoration; Solar energy; Dam removal; Conterminous U.S
Funding
- JPB Foundation, New York, United States [615]
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Despite the considerable contribution of hydropower in driving the American economy for over a century, the rationale for hydropower in the U.S. energy mix needs to be reassessed in the context of advanced science and technology. Other alternative-yet-cheaper energy resources have been identified and hazards associated with aging hydro-dams have escalated in recent years. Furthermore, research has shown more negative environmental consequences associated with hydro-dams-and dams in general. To compare the contribution of hydroelectricity to the total energy production in the U.S., and to identify its regional distribution and contemporary patterns, we conducted a systematic analysis of large-scale multi-year data from U.S. federal agencies and tallied the nameplate capacities of major hydro-dams against their existing energy production values. We found that despite continuous efforts at upgrading hydro-facilities, since 2000 the mean contribution of hydroelectricity has remained less than 10% of the total generated energy in the U.S. and has been declining since then. Based on our results, we conclude that reservoir-and dam-based hydroelectricity may not be an efficient energy resource-at least from the American perspective, and perhaps it is timely to consider promoting other non-conventional renewable resources for energy production.
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