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The 30 Largest U.S. Hydropower Plants

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The following content is sponsored by the National Public Utilities Council

largest hydropower plants in the U.S.

The 30 Largest Hydropower Plants in the U.S.

Did you know that the largest power plant in the United States is hydroelectric?

Hydropower is the second-largest source of U.S. renewable electricity generation and the largest source of power in seven different states.

The above infographic from the National Public Utilities Council charts the 30 largest U.S. hydropower plants and shows how droughts are starting to affect hydroelectricity. This is part one of two in the Hydropower Series.

Dam, That’s Large: U.S. Hydropower Plants by Generation

The top 30 hydropower plants account for around 50% of U.S. hydroelectric generation annually.

Hydropower plants are most prevalent in the Northwestern states of Washington and Oregon, jointly hosting 16 of the top 30 plants.

Plant NameState2021 Avg. Net Electricity Generation (MWh)% of Total Hydropower Generation
Grand CouleeWashington 19,550,7777%
Robert Moses - NiagaraNew York 14,186,1305%
Chief JosephWashington 11,092,2164%
John DayOregon 9,041,0833%
Robert Moses - St. LawrenceNew York 6,906,4203%
The DallesOregon 6,613,1852%
Rocky ReachWashington 5,935,0382%
McNaryOregon 5,369,7262%
WanapumWashington 4,820,6512%
BonnevilleOregon 4,659,4832%
Priest RapidsWashington 4,462,8732%
WellsWashington 4,153,4662%
Glen CanyonArizona 3,772,0101%
BoundaryWashington 3,730,1841%
Rock IslandWashington 2,532,0440.9%
Wilson DamAlabama 2,404,4400.9%
Lower MonumentalWashington 2,240,2640.8%
OaheSouth Dakota 2,181,6640.8%
Lower GraniteWashington 2,171,5900.8%
Little GooseWashington 2,156,6540.8%
BrownleeIdaho 2,154,4110.8%
LibbyMontana 2,122,8630.8%
Hoover Dam - NVNevada 2,044,1270.7%
GarrisonNorth Dakota 1,941,7310.7%
ShastaCalifornia 1,907,7610.7%
Hells CanyonOregon 1,900,5910.7%
ConowingoMaryland 1,885,3950.7%
DworshakIdaho 1,773,9110.6%
Hoover Dam - AZArizona 1,713,5630.6%
Noxon RapidsMontana 1,710,7540.6%
TotalN/A 137,135,00550%

The Grand Coulee Dam in Washington is the country’s largest power plant. It generates over 19.5 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity annually and supplies it to eight states, including parts of Canada. Overall, 10 of the top 30 hydropower plants are in Washington.

The Robert Moses Power Plant is a close second, located around 5 miles downstream from Niagara Falls. Combined with the nearby Lewiston Pump Generation Plant, it is New York’s single-largest source of electricity.

While hydropower is a relatively reliable renewable power source, prolonged dry conditions can put it at risk. That is the case for both the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams, which are no longer running at previous capacities.

Running Dry: Water Scarcity and Hydropower

The Southwestern U.S. has been in a “megadrought”—a prolonged drought lasting longer than two decades—since 2000. In fact, it has gotten so severe that the past 22 years mark the region’s driest spell in 1,200 years.

Consequently, many Southwestern reservoirs have below-average storage levels. When these levels fall below a certain threshold, hydropower plants can no longer generate power.

In particular, storage levels are precariously low at Lake Mead (Hoover Dam) and Lake Powell (Glen Canyon Dam), which supply most of Arizona’s hydroelectricity. They are also the two largest reservoirs in the country.

Here’s a look at how filled these reservoirs are as of Dec. 4, 2022:

ReservoirTotal Storage (acre ft)Current Storage (acre ft)% Full
Lake Mead
(Hoover Dam)
26,120,0007,194,07728%
Lake Powell
(Glen Canyon Dam)
24,322,0005,696,90723%

To put those figures into perspective, here’s an animation looking at Lake Powell’s surface area changes from 2018 to 2022:

largest hydropower plants in the U.S.

Shrinking water levels at reservoirs threaten the reliability of hydropower and the millions of people that rely on it for electricity. As droughts become more frequent due to climate change, what does the future of hydropower look like?

Find out in Part 2 of the Hydropower Series, where we’ll dive deeper into how droughts are affecting dams and how hydropower fits into the bigger decarbonization picture.

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Charted: Progress on 2030 Renewable Energy Targets by Country

In this graphic, we visualize whether major electricity-consuming countries are on track to meet their 2030 renewable energy targets.

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Progress on 2030 Renewable Energy Targets by Country

The International Energy Agency states that the global installed capacity of renewable energy must triple by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. 

This makes the next six years critical in the climate fight, with the upcoming United Nations COP28 event in Dubai representing a great time to assess the progress of countries toward achieving their 2030 targets. 

Checking in on Progress

As set out by their Nationally Determined Contributions in the Paris Agreement, many countries, including major electricity consumers such as the U.S., European Union, China, India, and the UK, have set ambitious targets for increasing their solar and wind power generation capacities by 2030. 

The data, however, suggests that many are struggling to keep pace with the required annual capacity additions that will allow them to hit these targets. 

Currently, China stands out as the only nation on track to meet its 2030 target. In 2022, it not only met but significantly exceeded its required capacity additions to remain on track, adding 168% of the required 101 GW. 

Let’s now take a closer look at how each of these countries are faring, comparing how much wind and solar capacity they needed to add with how much they actually did in 2022.

Country / Region2030 TargetAnnual Average Wind and Solar Capacity Additions
Needed to Hit 2030 Target
Actual Capacity Additions in 2022
WindSolarTotalWindSolarTotal
India40% zero-carbon generation by 2030 (includes nuclear)16 GW19 GW35 GW2 GW18 GW20 GW
China28% renewables by 203057 GW44 GW101 GW55 GW115 GW170 GW
United States739 GW of wind and solar by 2030 to reach zero-carbon electricity by 203534 GW35 GW69 GW11 GW21 GW32 GW
United Kingdom60% renewables by 20304 GW3 GW7 GW4 GW1 GW5 GW
European UnionREPowerEU: 42.5% renewables by 203038 GW48 GW86 GW16 GW38 GW54 GW

Overall, the U.S. and India were the furthest off from their targets in 2022, adding only 46% and 57% of what was needed, respectively. European countries, on the other hand, made progress but still need substantial annual additions to meet their targets by 2030.

Playing Catch-Up: The Path to 2030

Collectively, the U.S., European Union, China, India, and the UK account for more than 60% of global electricity consumption, underscoring their profound responsibility in decarbonizing their electricity sectors.

Investments in research and development, policy support, and infrastructure development are all crucial pieces of the puzzle when it comes to achieving 2030 targets. 

With swift and bold action, these nations have an opportunity to transform the global energy landscape and move the needle toward achieving net-zero on a global scale.

Learn more about how electric utilities and the power sector can lead on the path toward decarbonization here.

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Breaking Down the $110 Trillion Cost of the Clean Energy Transition

The clean energy transition will cost $110 trillion in global capital investments between 2021 and 2050. Here’s that sum broken down by sector.

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the $110 trillion cost of the clean energy transition

The $110 Trillion Cost of the Clean Energy Transition

The Energy Transitions Commission estimates that achieving net-zero by 2050 requires an average annual investment of $3.5 trillion globally between 2021 and 2050.

That’s a total of $110 trillion in capital investment, or 1.3% of projected global GDP, over the next three decades.

The question then arises: where should this substantial sum of money be allocated?

In collaboration with the National Public Utilities Council, this graphic delves into the answers to that question utilizing data from the Energy Transitions Commission.

How Much Will the Clean Energy Transition Cost?

Of the $3.5 trillion dollars that needs to be invested annually into a net-zero economy, around $2.4 trillion should flow into the electricity sector, according to the Energy Transitions Commission. This accounts for 70% of the annual investment.

Decarbonizing the electricity sector holds significant importance as it can serve as a catalyst for the decarbonization of all other sectors, including:

  • Buildings, which are becoming increasingly electrified through the growing use of heat pumps
  • Electrified road transportation
  • Electricity-intensive industrial activities, such as cement, steel, and chemical production
  • Green hydrogen production

Now, let’s take a collective look at the avenues of investment needed to reach net-zero by 2050 in more detail.

Sector SubsectorAverage Capital Investment Needed Per Year 2021-2050Total Sector Investment Needed Per Year 2021-2050
The Power SectorZero-Carbon Power Generation$1300B$2400B
Power Networks$900B
Power Storage and Grid Flexibility$200B
BuildingsRetrofits$230B$500B
Heat Pumps$130B
Renewable Heating$140B
TransportRoad Charging Infrastructure$130B$240B
Aviation$70B
Shipping$40B
Carbon RemovalNatural Climate Solutions (NCS)$100B$130B
Hybrid and engineered carbon removal solutions$30B
Clean HydrogenProduction$40B$80B
Transport and storage$40B
IndustryChemicals$40B$70B
Steel$10B
Cement$10B
Aluminum$10B

All figures are in real 2021 U.S. dollars

Overall, the diversity of the table above underscores the multifaceted approach required for a low-carbon transition.

Is the World on Track to Reach Net-Zero?

In 2022, the global capital investment in the clean energy transition totaled $1.1 trillion—approximately one-third of the required annual average to reach net-zero.

With that said, it’s important to note that the $3.5 trillion figure is an average across 29 years. Opportunities to catch up still exist, although the window is closing quickly.

According to the Energy Transitions Commission, investments must double from their current levels to around $2 trillion by 2025 and peak at around $4.2 trillion by 2040.

To remain on track to net-zero, therefore, we must make significant and rapid investments in all sectors, with a primary focus on the power sector.

Learn more about how electric utilities and the power sector can lead on the path toward decarbonization here.

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