Hydro power and de-risking climate change
At HYDROVISION International this week, there was the acute awareness that hydroelectric power globally is facing climate change-induced challenges. California is a prime example, said Lindsay Aramayo, who is an economist with the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The Golden State was facing its third straight drought year in 2022, and less water was flowing. That year, she said hydropower represented 8% of California’s generating mix, where it normally makes up 15% during a good year. “There are bad years, there are also good ones and they seem to fluctuate a lot,” said Aramayo. Aramayo joined other panelists at a HYDROVISION mega session to discuss the impacts of climate change on hydro infrastructure and the tools available for operators to adapt.