Assessment of Waterpower Potential and Development Needs

Hydropower offers expanding opportunities to increase generation based on renewable, domestic, carbon-free technologies. This report presents a review of the possible contribution of waterpower technologies in the near-term (by 2010) and long-term (by 2025) to the U.S. renewable energy supply. Segments of the waterpower industry include conventional hydroelectric plants and emerging technologies that access the energy in river and tidal currents (hydrokinetic) as well as in ocean waves. The report documents how each segment of waterpower technology can contribute to increased production, discusses research questions that need to be answered to achieve the desired results, and reviews targeted economic incentives that can spur waterpower production.