Governments and policymakers should focus more on hydropower as a key source of low-emission, flexible power generation amid rising electricity demand, said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). In a LinkedIn post, he referred to hydropower as the "forgotten giant of electricity" and urged for its increased significance in global electricity systems.
In 2024, hydropower contributed about 14% of the world's total electricity supply, comparable to the combined output of solar and wind and 50% more than nuclear energy generation. Birol noted that hydropower is the third-largest power source globally, following coal and natural gas.
Countries like Brazil and Norway generate a significant portion of their power from hydropower, yet globally, it remains overshadowed by the rapid growth of solar and wind energy. Birol emphasized that hydropower is often overlooked in energy policy discussions.
As global electricity demand is expected to rise, he advocates for recognizing hydropower's potential to meet this growing consumption, driven by population and economic growth, advances in electrification, and investments in digital infrastructure. Birol also highlighted hydropower's unique flexibility, which is crucial for integrating increasing solar and wind energy into electricity systems, and called for its higher priority in energy policy.
Large consumers of computing power are turning to hydropower for low-emission electricity. Earlier this year, Google made a significant agreement to purchase over $3 billion worth of hydroelectric power from Brookfield Asset Management for its data centers, with the possibility of expanding the agreement to 3,000 megawatts, marking the largest corporate hydropower deal ever.
In 2024, hydropower contributed about 14% of the world's total electricity supply, comparable to the combined output of solar and wind and 50% more than nuclear energy generation. Birol noted that hydropower is the third-largest power source globally, following coal and natural gas.
Countries like Brazil and Norway generate a significant portion of their power from hydropower, yet globally, it remains overshadowed by the rapid growth of solar and wind energy. Birol emphasized that hydropower is often overlooked in energy policy discussions.
As global electricity demand is expected to rise, he advocates for recognizing hydropower's potential to meet this growing consumption, driven by population and economic growth, advances in electrification, and investments in digital infrastructure. Birol also highlighted hydropower's unique flexibility, which is crucial for integrating increasing solar and wind energy into electricity systems, and called for its higher priority in energy policy.
Large consumers of computing power are turning to hydropower for low-emission electricity. Earlier this year, Google made a significant agreement to purchase over $3 billion worth of hydroelectric power from Brookfield Asset Management for its data centers, with the possibility of expanding the agreement to 3,000 megawatts, marking the largest corporate hydropower deal ever.
