June 1st, 2025
Via Inside Climate News, a report on a plan by Gila River Tribes to float solar panels on a reservoir: On its surface, floating solar appears to conserve water while generating carbon-free electricity. River managers are cautious, but some say the West can’t afford to wait. About 33 miles south of Phoenix, Interstate 10 bisects […]
Read more »Are Dams Still Worth It?
April 29th, 2025
Via BBC, a look at how a warming world could threaten the future of hydropower: Hydroelectricity is the world’s biggest source of renewable energy, and dams have long been a popular – if controversial – way to fast-track development and boost economies. Jordan Dunbar is in Thailand, a country that has been transformed by hydropower. […]
Read more »April 7th, 2025
Via Grist, a report on the weekslong disappearance of Canadian hydropower from New England’s grid exposes risks for the region On March 6, at the start of the still-simmering trade war between the U.S. and Canada, hydropower generator Hydro‑Québec quietly stopped exporting electricity to New England. At a time of year when Canadian hydropower typically supplies up […]
Read more »Dam Plan Busted? World’s Biggest Hydropower Project In The Balance
January 28th, 2025
Via BBC, a report on a planned dam in Africa: From a set of roaring rapids, comes a grand vision. There are plans to build a magnificent, multi-billion dollar mega-dam on the Congo River – one that would produce enough renewable electricity to power vast areas of Africa. The structure would be called the Grand […]
Read more »January 19th, 2025
Via SciTech Daily, a report on a recent Department of Energy study on the potential for federal reservoirs to generate enough solar energy to power 100 million homes annually: A new study reveals that federally managed reservoirs have the potential to generate enough energy to supply power to around 100 million U.S. homes annually. Federal […]
Read more »Rivers of Influence: How Droughts and Chinese Investment Shape Ecuador’s Energy Crisis
December 22nd, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a look at how Ecuador’s energy crisis has focused attention on its under-performing hydroelectric dams built by China’s state-owned enterprises. For the past three month, the Ecuadorian government has been struggling to combat droughts within the Mazar and Coca rivers. These droughts are occurring due to El Nino, forcing Ecuador’s mainly hydroelectric system to […]
Read more »