Drought Dashes Hopes For U.S. Hydropower Capacity

Hydropower is, along with nuclear, the best of both worlds in terms of electricity. It is a zero-emission source of energy, and its output can be adjusted in response to demand—a dispatchable source. The problem? It depends on the weather, and because of this dependence, hydropower managed to drag the total share of low-emission power generation down this year, and boosted gas. Dispatchability matters. Back in April, the Energy Information Administration forecast that hydropower output this year would jump by 6% over 2023, when it dipped…