Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy that also contributes important ancillary services related to grid reliability; however, construction, and operation of hydropower facilities can have significant impacts, including to fish and fisheries. There is a long history of research and applications related to instream flows and fish passage. New knowledge accrues and innovations emerge, but hydropower impacts remain. Changing hydrologic baselines, anthropic water demand, and a tight relationship between power generation and water flow downstream of hydropower facilities exacerbate a complex socio-economic-environmental challenge that encompasses impacts, opportunities, and constraints for people and the environment. Protection, mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency all require trade-offs among power generation, water availability for human use, and instream levels and flows. This session will address impacts, opportunities, and constraints at the interface of fish and hydropower in the face of changing human needs, changing hydrologic baselines, and efforts to decarbonize the energy sector.
Organizers:
Paul Jacobson, Electric Power Research Institute, [email protected]
Jonathan Black, Electric Power Research Institute
Doug Bradley, Electric Power Research Institute