What Makes Hydropower a Hero

This is the text version of the What Makes Hydropower a Hero? video.

[Music plays, narrator speaks]

[Animation of a storm moving from Canada down through Oregon and into the plains]

In 2013, winter storm Cleon spread heavy snow, freezing rain, and dangerously cold temperatures from mountainous Oregon to the Arkansas plains. Such a ferocious storm is expected to come with power outages. But Cleon caused just a few short blips—thanks, in part, to an often-invisible grid hero. 

[Animation of a hero figure]

That hero is… hydropower. 

[Animation showing grid disruptors]

Climate change, cyberattacks, and extreme weather all pose a risk to our power grid. And grid disruptions can be inconvenient or even dangerous, halting vital air conditioners in heat waves, heaters in freezing storms, or even medical equipment and emergency services. But hydropower can help keep our grid resilient, enabling it to nimbly bounce back from disruptions.

[Animation of a hydropower plant]

So, what’s behind hydro’s heroics? Hydropower plants can store hefty amounts of energy and turn on and off in a matter of minutes. If the grid needs energy—and fast—hydropower can swoop right in (and it doesn’t even need a cape).  For example, when people turned up their heat during Cleon’s icy cold snap, hydropower plants switched on when other power plants couldn’t. How? Hydropower plants have something called inertia, which means their generators keep spinning and generating energy even if there’s a hiccup in the grid. With help from hydro, communities could stay safe and warm. Hydro’s other specialty? Energy storage. One type, called pumped storage, can be used to store hours of energy. Colloquially known as water batteries, these facilities are especially valuable partners for more variable resources, like solar power and wind energy, and can help fill power gaps to keep the grid running smoothly.  But even heroes have their kryptonite. As a changing climate alters rainfall and snowmelt, potentially causing more droughts and floods, our water supplies will change, too. Although these shifts may impact some hydropower plants, others could store more water during wet periods, so the plants—and their communities—can still generate electricity if water becomes scarce. In short? Hydropower is helping our power grid stay resilient and reliable.

[Animation of NREL’s campus]

To help hydropower serve our grid, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are using their own special powers to study the future—or, more accurately, to simulate how extreme weather events, changes in water supplies, or even cyberattacks might impact our future grid. As the grid evolves, our hero hydropower will, too. NREL’s experts are studying exactly how hydropower’s flexible energy and sizable energy storage could support a 100% clean energy future.

Our hydropower hero can help keep our grid clean, safe, and reliable. But every Batman needs a Robin. And NREL’s experts are the supportive sidekick this grid hero needs. We’re transforming energy. Learn more about NREL’s water power program at nrel.gov/water.

[Narration ends, music stops]