Hydropower is anticipated to be one of the country’s most significant sources of renewable energy, and the US possesses substantial marine energy resources.
In the United States, hydropower represents over a quarter of the nation’s utility-scale renewable energy generation. It aids in ensuring that electricity networks remain reliable and secure as they adapt to integrate more variable renewable energy sources such as wind energy and solar energy, emphasizing the necessity of preserving existing facilities and expanding hydropower.
Meanwhile, in the US, the total available marine energy resource corresponds to nearly 60% of U.S. energy production. Even if only a small fraction of that technical resource potential is harnessed, marine energy technologies could significantly address the nation’s energy requirements.
Water energy will be crucial in delivering clean, sustainable energy for the US.
There are nearly 2,300 conventional hydropower dams functioning in the US, and hydropower has the potential to expand through the modernization of existing facilities and the construction of new ones. One of the best opportunities to integrate additional hydropower into the grid is by incorporating energy-generating infrastructure to existing dams. Of the over 90,000 dams in the United States, fewer than 3% produce energy.
In 2023, pumped storage hydropower (PSH) represented 96% of the country’s total utility-scale energy storage. PSH operates using two water reservoirs, one situated at a higher elevation than the other. During periods of high energy production, excess energy can be utilized to pump water into the upper reservoir. In times of elevated demand, PSH facilities can release water from the higher reservoir into the lower pool. As the water flows downhill, it turns a turbine connected to a generator to produce clean electricity. This storage will continue to be vital for balancing variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar to establish a resilient grid.
Marine energy might also be instrumental in enhancing the resilience of numerous remote, coastal, and island communities’ local energy grids, diminishing the necessity to import alternative fuel sources, and supporting various blue economy initiatives.
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