Like most renewable sources, it is hard for hydro to compete with fossil fuels

摘要

River hydropower is not a new technology. Before the advent of coal-powered steam engines, there were over 22,000 watermills operating in the UK. This is a reliable and consistent source of power. It is odd that we abandoned it. Perhaps no one wanted old fashioned technology as the steam engine and then later electricity took over.rnI believe that the main factor keeping river hydropower out of the spotlight over the last half century has been the low cost of fossil fuel. There was no point in putting management effort into the complex challenges of building effective river hydro schemes. Such schemes have to be designed to match the vagaries of the particular site; unlike a gas-fired power station can be built from a standard plan and located almost anywhere.