Following Nature’s Current: Hydropower in the NW Release
The Foundation for Water and Energy Education (FWEE) has released Following Nature’s Current: Hydropower in the Northwest. Visit www.fwee.org/following-natures-current to view the publication on-line. Print copies to media are available by request.
Using infographics and a wide array of data, this colorful 24-page publication takes a deep dive into hydropower’s role in meeting the Northwest’s goals for a clean energy future.
Carbon-free generation from hydropower provides over half of the Northwest’s capacity to generate electricity. Following Nature’s Current examines the opportunities and challenges of integrating solar, wind and other carbon-free power generation resources; how development of a modern power grid and energy trading will influence the future; the role of new and emerging technologies to meet our energy needs; and on-going commitments to environmental protection and fish passage.
Research by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council shows that relying solely on the carbon-free renewable energy resources of solar and wind to replace carbon-emitting power plants will be challenging. Solar and wind resources are considered intermittent because the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow. If more actions are not taken, the council predicts that our energy resources will become less reliable with the probability of blackouts and brownouts increasing from 5 percent in 2019 to 25 percent in 2026.