Rojanasakul, M., & Bearak, M. (2023, May 2). Is It a Lake, or a Battery? A New Kind of Hydropower Is Spreading Fast. Nytimes.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/05/02/climate/hydroelectric-power-energy.html
The traditional approach to hydroelectric power, involving large dams, is giving way to more sustainable alternatives like pumped storage and run-of-river projects. Pumped storage systems, with upper and lower reservoirs, store excess electricity by pumping water uphill and generate power during peak demand by releasing it downhill. China is a leader in this transformation, planning over 80% of global pumped storage projects. These technologies help address the intermittency of renewables like wind and solar. While China still relies on coal, it’s increasing its renewable capacity, making pumped storage a key component of its energy strategy. Run-of-river projects, without large reservoirs, offer a less ecologically disruptive alternative. Conventional dams face environmental and water-saving challenges, along with potential international water disputes and methane emissions.
Typically, when we think of hydroelectric power, we think of large dams that can be damaging to ecosystems. Through new methods, such as the ones in the article, we are able to more sustainably use hydroelectric power. This is also important because it is a good alternative to fossil fuels which pollute the air. This is very important to today’s society, especially when earth is in desperate need of a new energy source.
It’ll be interesting to see if hydroelectric dams grow in popularity as a sustainable energy resource, however, I wonder why many places tend to steer away from them? Other than the drawback of disrupting ecosystems, I wonder if there are more negative consequences that aren’t as obvious. With that being said, hydroelectric dams can be very useful in the fight against climate change.
Thanks for reading! I also wonder what could be holding places back from using hydropower. I feel like everyone is looking for an easy fix to climate change, but do not realize that projects methods like hydropower, which may take more time and money than other methods, can really have a positive impact on the environment when done right.