The global energy landscape is at a crossroads. As energy demand skyrockets and extreme weather events become more frequent, the need for reliable, flexible, and clean power has never been more urgent. While wind and solar dominate the renewable energy investment scene, hydropower’s potential to bolster grid resilience and expand energy supply remains largely untapped. This is a missed opportunity, especially as advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) promise to revolutionize the sector.
Hydropower stands out among renewable energy sources due to its unique combination of reliability and flexibility. Unlike wind and solar, hydropower delivers steady, around-the-clock energy. This consistency is crucial in the face of severe weather events and emergencies. “Hydropower can be rapidly dispatched, meaning its output can be changed on demand at the request of an operator whenever the grid calls for it,” says Jason Smith, vice president of Growth & Commercialization at Upstream Tech. This ability to balance supply and demand protects against grid fluctuations and ensures electricity is available throughout normal and extreme conditions.
However, hydropower remains underfunded and underprioritized. While funding for solar and wind projects increased in 2023, investments in other renewable sources, including hydropower, decreased by double digits. Even landmark policy efforts like the Inflation Reduction Act fall short in fully supporting hydropower’s potential. This underinvestment, combined with regulatory bottlenecks and aging infrastructure, puts grid reliability and decarbonization goals at risk.
The harsh reality is that there’s never been a more crucial time to invest in hydropower. Many of today’s hydropower plants were built decades ago and are long overdue for modernization. With rapid growth in global energy demand, these aging assets are at risk of falling short when we need them most. Moreover, regulatory bottlenecks affecting permitting and licensing mean we’re missing out on the full value of one of our most reliable energy resources.
But there’s a silver lining. The rapid advancement of AI presents compelling opportunities for hydropower’s future. AI can improve operational efficiency, water resource management, and reinforce hydropower’s reliability. AI-powered forecasting models are outpacing traditional methods, delivering sharper, location-specific water flow predictions during time-sensitive and high-risk events. This is crucial as nearly 80% of major outages between 2000 and 2023 were caused by severe weather.
Last September, Hurricane Helene’s record rainfall and flooding heavily impacted hydropower operations along critical rivers and reservoirs. In such scenarios, AI forecasting models can provide more detailed and precise forecasts to help better prepare emergency response plans, limiting costly spillage, inefficient power generation, and downstream flooding risks.
We can no longer overlook hydropower as a strategic investment in the future of our energy grid. For decades, hydropower has proved to be one of our most reliable and flexible energy resources. But without renewed investment and further adoption of advanced technologies, we will lose out on hydropower’s vast potential. Imagine a world where cutting-edge technology creates advanced forecasting predictions to optimize hydropower. We could predict floods with more granularity, proactively manage impacts on communities, and anticipate seasonal droughts to allocate water more efficiently. Our energy grid could be so flexible and resilient that power outages and infrastructure damage during extreme weather events are rare occurrences.
To unlock hydropower’s full potential, we need action, collaboration, and targeted investment. Expanding data access and collaboration across public and private sectors is essential. Weather data from government organizations, especially the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is critical for improving hydropower operations. Pairing this data with the latest in AI-driven hydropower solutions can significantly improve efficiency, forecasting, and revenue from hydro assets.
It’s time to take bold steps to realize this vision of modernization and fully utilize hydropower as a strategic asset. This tried and tested energy solution, combined with AI technology, is key to the future of our energy grid. As global energy demands surge, we must prioritize hydropower in energy security planning. With the right investments and a broad adoption of modern technology, we can unlock greater supply and transform hydropower into a cornerstone of a resilient, future-ready grid.
