National Hydropower Day Celebrates Cleaner Communities, Shares News
Wednesday, August 24th is National Hydropower Day.
The Northwest is the leading generator of hydropower in the country, providing over one-third of the conventional and pumped storage capacity available.
Hydropower is recognized as a key building block to effectively address climate change. For instance, EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions calculator indicates over 32 million pounds of C02 emissions are avoided annually through hydropower generation in the Northwest. That’s the equivalent of not burning over 16 million pounds of coal each year.
According to a recent report reviewing a Washington Department of Ecology forecast for the Columbia River Basin, population growth, data centers and electric vehicles are expected to drive demand for hydropower up by as much as 34% by 2040.
Achieving more from the hydropower system just got a boost from passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Reporting shows the Act includes billions of dollars in tax credits, including incentives to develop new pumped storage plants, modernize existing facilities, and invest in new technologies like hydrokinetic generation.
Click here to learn more about hydropower in the Northwest. This low-cost, renewable, clean energy resource continues its journey of being the backbone of power generation in the Northwest.