Hydropower Continues Steady Growth

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Hydroelectric generation by country, 2011 (Billion Kilowatt-hours).
Hydroelectric generation by country, 2011 (Billion Kilowatt-hours).
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World hydroelectric generation, 1965 to 2011.
World hydroelectric generation, 1965 to 2011.
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U.S. hydropower capacity has stayed relatively stable in recent decades, since most dams were built before 1980.
U.S. hydropower capacity has stayed relatively stable in recent decades, since most dams were built before 1980.
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Share of electricity from hydropower in top generating countries, 2011.
Share of electricity from hydropower in top generating countries, 2011.
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Installed hydroelectric generating capacity in the European Union and the United States, 1980 to 2009.
Installed hydroelectric generating capacity in the European Union and the United States, 1980 to 2009.
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Hydroelectric generation in China, 1965 to 2011.
Hydroelectric generation in China, 1965 to 2011.

The following article is posted with permission from the Earth Policy Institute.

World hydroelectric power generation has risen steadily by an average 3 percent annually over the past four decades. In 2011, at 3,500 billion kilowatt-hours, hydroelectricity accounted for roughly 16 percent of global electricity generation, almost all produced by the world’s 45,000-plus large dams. Today hydropower is generated in over 160 countries.

Four countries dominate the hydropower landscape: China, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Together they produce more than half of the world’s hydroelectricity.

Much of the world’s recent growth came from China, where hydropower generation more than tripled from 220 billion kilowatt-hours in 2000 to 720 billion in 2010. In 2011, despite a drop in generation due to drought, hydropower accounted for 15 percent of China’s total electricity generation.

Brazil, the second-largest producer of hydropower worldwide, gets 86 percent of its electricity from water resources. It is home to an estimated 450 dams, including the Itaipu Dam, which generates more electricity than any other hydropower facility in the world–over 92 billion kilowatt-hours per year.

  • Published on Jun 14, 2012
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