The Department of Energy released a report last week outlining strategies to strengthen the nation’s hydropower supply chain.
Hydropower, which currently accounts for over one-quarter of U.S. renewable electricity, is considered a crucial component of the Biden administration’s goal to achieve a 100 percent carbon-free grid by 2035.
“As more variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind are incorporated into the U.S. electricity grid, hydropower will play a key role in keeping it reliable and stable,” said Jeff Marootian, a DOE official in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which published the report.
America’s nearly 1,500 hydropower plants have an average life of seven decades and maintenance is often infrequent and capital-intensive. That creates inconsistent demand for hydropower components and has hindered development of the domestic supply chain, according to the report.
