Hydropower has a significant role to play in U.S. energy production, despite its relatively small contribution compared to other sources. Hydropower plants may only contribute ~6-7% of all power generation, however, these facilities can do things other power plants can’t. Hydropower is extremely convenient for blackout power, and it can be a reserve power for the grid when needed. However, with the prevalence of floods, drought, and other precipitation uncertainties, the consistency that hydropower once had is being brought into question. WORT’s Kai Brito speaks to Caitlin Grady, Penn State Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and leader of the FEWs Lab, and Lauren Dennis, Penn State Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering and Climate Science and member of the FEWs lab, to explain the importance of hydropower for the U.S. electric grid.

The Conversation | Hydropower’s future is clouded by droughts, floods and climate change – it’s also essential to the US electric grid

 

Photo by Kees Streefkerk on Unsplash

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