As of 2022, Washington was the leading state in terms of hydropower consumption in the United States. The hydropower consumption in Washington was around 78.9 terawatt hours. In the second position was Oregon, wherein the hydropower consumption was around 31.3 terawatt hours during the same period.

Washington was the leading U.S. state in terms of conventional hydroelectricity production in 2023, with more than ** terawatt hours produced. California followed with nearly half of Washington's hydropower output, at some ** terawatt hours.

Droughts have limited the availability of water in specific regions across the country. This led to delays in hydroelectric infrastructure investment, halting upgrades to expand storage and efficiency. Although hydroelectricity is an environmentally friendly renewable energy source, it has received considerable scrutiny from state governments because hydroelectric dams can damage river resources. This has led to a slowdown in new facilities as many producers have switched to small hydro projects. Overall, revenue is set to dip at a CAGR of 4.3% through the five years, reaching $7.0 billion in 2025, where revenue is set to get a 5.0% boost. Profit remains elevated at 18.8% of revenue as renewable energy projects tend to be profitable. Government incentives for storage facilities and continuous research and development have remained a bright spot for producers. New turbine technology and automated maintenance systems help facilities improve efficiency while spending less. The Department of Energy and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act bolstered hydropower drastically by providing grants to help improve efficiency and safety. This allowed companies to strengthen their services without worrying too much about costs. Nonetheless, low rainfall during the period has weakened production slightly. While hydroelectric power has benefited from government tax credits, other forms of renewable energy, primarily solar and wind, have skyrocketed in popularity, deterring consumers from hydroelectric power. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), energy generated from hydroelectric power has lagged compared with its renewable substitutes. Hydroelectric, geothermal and biomass energy revenue is set to expand at a CAGR of 1.5% through the end of 2030 to $7.5 billion, as government incentives and steady electric prices remain a catalyst for growth. Small hydro projects will continue to shape the industry, especially as larger facilities threaten the environment. Geothermal energy may also enjoy significant growth; in 2025, for example, the Trump Administration expedited environmental reviews for three ongoing projects in Nevada. If this trend continues, it, alongside advances in enhanced geothermal systems, could expand geothermal energy even in previously considered non-optimal regions.

This statistic represents the leading states in hydropower generation in the United States in 2018. With a generation of approximately ****** megawatts, California was ranked second that year. Installed hydropower capacity is primarily concentrated in western United States.

The data includes a geospatial and spreadsheet representation of a resource analysis for closed loop pumped storage systems across the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The data includes energy storage potential, water volume, distance from source to storage, hydraulic head, dollars per kilowatt of storage, and transmission spurline cost for each pumped storage hydropower (PHS) reservoir. Each reservoir represented in this dataset is represented on potential 10 hour storage duration PSH system comprised of two reservoirs. Units of measure are laid out in the dataset. Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) represents the bulk of the United States' current energy storage capacity: 23 gigawatts (GW) of the 24 GW national total (Denholm et al. 2021). This capacity was largely built between 1960 and 1990. PSH is a mature and proven method of energy storage with competitive round-trip efficiency and long life spans. These qualities make PSH a very attractive potential solution to energy storage needs, particularly for longer-duration storage (8 hours or more); such storage will be crucial to bridge gaps in electricity production as variable wind and solar production continue to comprise an ever-larger portion of the United States' energy portfolio. This study seeks to better understand the technical potential for PSH development in the United States by developing a national-scale resource assessment for closed-loop PSH. For more information, please refer to the Closed Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower Resource Assessment for the United States linked in the resources.

The US Hydropower Potential at National Conduits dataset provides the results of a national assessment of various conduit hydropower potential for the year 2022. Hydropower potential and generation estimates are provided for various types of municipal, agricultural, and industrial applications across all 50 states. A total of 1.41 gigawatts of hydropower potential is estimated across the US. This dataset provides conduit hydropower estimates summarized at state resolution in Shapefile (.shp) format and at county resolution in comma separated (.csv) and *.shp format.

This dataset contains monthly and weekly hydropower generation and generation constraints (min, max, daily range) for over 1,400 hydropower plants in the conterminous United States. The dataset includes a historical period (1982-2019) and a future period (2020-2099) with 4 future warming scenarios.

For more information please refer to Bracken et al. 2024, godeeep_hydro: Historical and projected power system ready hydropower data for the United States, in prep, or refer to the Github repository https://github.com/GODEEEP/tgw-hydro

Data description

The dataset contains 10 data files with the naming convention where scenario can be either "historical", "rcp45cooler", "rcp45hotter", "rcp85cooler", or "rcp85hotter". "monthly" or "weekly" refers to the timestep of the data.

• datetime - The datetime stamp of the current timestep
• eia_id - An integer value with the EIA plant code that represents the facility
• plant - The name of the facility according to the EIA
• power_predicted_mwh - The total energy gnerated over the period in MWh, aka the energy target
• n_hours - The number of hours in the period, useful for converting between power and energy
• p_avg - Average power generation for the period
• p_max - Maximum allowable power generation for the period
• p_min - Minimum allowable power generation for the period
• ador - Average daily operational range for any given day in the period
• scenario - The name of the scenario, either "historical", "rcp45cooler", "rcp45hotter", "rcp85cooler", or "rcp85hotter"

Also included is the metadata file godeeep_hydro_plants.csv which contains metadata for each hydropower plant that is included in the dataset. Each row in this file refers to one hydropower facility. This file has the following columns:

• eia_id - An integer value with the EIA plant code that represents the facility
• plant - The name of the facility according to the EIA
• mode - Either "Storage" or "RoR" indicating if the plant is primarily operated as a storage or ron-of-river facility
• state - Two letter U.S. state name
• lat - Latitude of the facility
• lon - Longitude of the facility
• nameplate_capacity - The total nameplate capacity of the facility according to the EIA
• nerc_region - Four letter code for the NERC region of the facility
• ba - Balacing authority of the facility
• max_param - Value of the a_{max} parameter used to derive p_max
• min_param - Value of the a_{min} parameter used to derive p_min
• ador_param - Value of the a_{ador} parameter used to derive ador
• huc2 - Two digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) which contains the facility

Funding

This research was supported by the Grid Operations, Decarbonization, Environmental and Energy Equity Platform (GODEEEP) Investment, under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

PNNL is a multi-program national laboratory operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Battelle Memorial Institute under Contract No. DE-AC05-76RL01830.

Corresponding author:

Cameron Bracken, cameron.bracken@pnnl.gov

v1.1.0 - Update file naming convention

The Report Covers Hydroelectric Companies in USA and the Market is Segmented by Size (Large Hydropower (More than 100 MW), Small Hydropower (Less than 10 MW), and Other Sizes (10-100 MW))

Comprehensive dataset of 17 Hydroelectric power plants in Alaska, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

This data repository contains all code, input data, and data generated for Turner et al. (2024)—“Hydropower capacity factors trending down in the United States”. File descriptions: – hydro-cf-trends-inputs.zip: Full set of input data used in this study, organized for direct entry into “/data” directory of hydro-cf-trends data processing pipeline. – hydro-cf-trends.zip: Full data processing pipeline, coded using the R {targets} framework. This is a snapshot release (v1.0) of the code repository stored at https://code.ornl.gov/turnersw/hydro-cf-trends/. – hydro-cf-trends-results.zip: Provides all dam level results required to reproduce results and graphics in Turner et al. (2024). Dams are identified by the “complxID” (root of the hydropower plant ID in the Existing Hydropower Assets Database, inherited from HILARRI). Results include: • dam_CF_trends.csv: Table of long-term trends in annualized capacity factors for 610 dams and modeled annualized capacity factors for 362 modeled dams (naturalized and assimilated flows). • dam_annualized_CF_gen.csv: Annualized time series of the following variables for each of 610 hydropower dams with nameplate > 5MW – Reported nameplate capacity (MW) – Implied maximum annual generation (MWh) – Reported net generation (MWh) – Computed annual capacity factor – Modeled annual capacity factor (362 modeled plants only)

The U.S. capacity of hydroelectricity has increased to a peak of ***** gigawatts in 2024, an increase compared to the previous year. The United States generated some 240 terawatt hours of hydroelectricity in 2023.

Market Size statistics on the Hydroelectric Power industry in the US

Employment statistics on the Hydroelectric Power industry in the US

The North American hydropower market is segmented by type (large hydropower, small hydropower, pumped storage, and others) and geography (United States, Canada, and Mexico). The report offers the installed capacity and forecasts for the North American hydropower market in GigaWatts (GW) for all the above segments.

Comprehensive dataset of 154 Hydroelectric power plants in California, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Comprehensive dataset of 12 Hydroelectric power plants in Alabama, United States as of June, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Number of Businesses statistics on the Hydroelectric Power industry in the US

This map poster uses Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Existing Hydropower Assets Plant Dataset FY20 to visualize the geospatial distribution and characteristics of existing hydropower plants in the United States.

This dataset summarizes existing and potential hydropower capacity and freshwater biodiversity at the sub-basin level throughout the conterminous United States (CONUS). It contains descriptive information regarding each sub-basin (e.g., 8-digit hydrologic unit code identifier, name, states, and size) along with sub-basin-level summaries of: 1) existing hydropower capacity (MW), 2) potential nominal non-powered dam (NPD) capacity (MW), 3) potential capacity of new stream reach development (NSD) (MW), and 4) freshwater biodiversity, including the total richness of fish, crayfish, and mussels and metrics that account for how rare and threatened those species tend to be. Hydropower data were obtained from Oak Ridge National Laboratory data resources (Existing Hydropower Assets, Non-Powered Dam Technical Potential, and New Stream Reach Development). Freshwater biodiversity data were obtained from NatureServe. Sub-basin characteristic information was obtained from the United States Geological Survey. Additionally, long data that provide lists of unique elements within each sub-basin for each constituent data resource (e.g., NatureServe, Existing Hydropower Assets) are provided to enhance dataset utility for users. The dataset provides, for the first time, a national-level assessment of existing and potential hydropower capacity in the context of freshwater biodiversity and is a valuable resource for stakeholders tasked with providing affordable, reliable energy to the American public while maintaining or enhancing invaluable freshwater resources. The dataset contains six data files in comma separated (*.csv) format that are within a zipped file.

The size of the North America Hydropower Market was valued at USD XX Million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD XXX Million by 2032, with an expected CAGR of 1.00% during the forecast period. Hydropower in North America Hydropower is one of the important groups in the renewable energy segment of North America. Hydropower harnesses the potential or flow of water to generate electricity. The US and Canada have a wealth of water resources and infrastructure associated with them, thus leading in hydropower production that accounts for a large proportion of overall electricity generation. Hydropower is known as a relatively sure and efficient source of energy, especially since it accounts for about 37% of Canada's electricity and about 6% in the U.S., making it the largest form of renewable energy in both countries. A mix of high-head powerplants and smaller run-of-river plants allows for greater flexibility in meeting energy supply at peak periods. Advances in turbines and energy storage also help improve efficiency and reliability, but with fewer concerns over environmental impacts to traditional hydroelectric facilities. States and provinces everywhere are also taking steps to upgrade aging infrastructure and add new capacity, part of wider sustainability objectives. It has some challenges in the market: regulatory complexity and impacts on aquatic ecosystems. It competes with other forms of renewable sources, like wind and solar. Despite that, continued investment and innovation will help ensure that the hydropower market in North America remains an essential part of a transition to a sustainable energy future, supporting energy security and regional efforts at carbon reduction. Recent developments include: June 2022: Stantec announced that WaterPower Canada had commissioned it to assess the potential for pumped storage hydropower across Canada. Stantec and its partners, the Australian National University, CEATI, and Power Advisory, will study the strategic value of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) facilities to help WaterPower Canada and the hydropower industry as a whole., May 2022: The United States Department of Energy announced funding of about USD 8 million to support projects that aim to improve the flexibility of the United States hydropower fleet and enhance electric grid reliability.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Increasing Investment in the Upstream Sector4.; Supportive Government Policies. Potential restraints include: 4., Increasing Demand to Diversify the Power Generation Mix by Introducing Renewable Energy Sources. Notable trends are: Pumped Storage to Witness Growth.