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As of 2025, plans exist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the construction of a hydroelectric power station set to overtake the Three Gorges, [3] with an installed capacity of 39,000 MW. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] The Project is called Grand Inga and is planned to be realised on the lower Congo River . [ 6 ]
The following page lists all pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations that are larger than 1,000 MW in installed generating capacity, which are currently operational or under construction. Those power stations that are smaller than 1,000 MW , and those that are decommissioned or only at a planning/proposal stage may be found in regional ...
The following page lists hydroelectric power stations that generate power using the run-of-the-river method. This list includes most power stations that are larger than 100 MW in maximum net capacity, which are currently operational or under construction.
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek ὑδρο-, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a water source to produce power. [1] Hydropower is a method of sustainable energy ...
Hoover Dam's initial 1,345 MW power station was the world's largest hydroelectric power station in 1936; it was eclipsed by the 6,809 MW Grand Coulee Dam in 1942. [20] The Itaipu Dam opened in 1984 in South America as the largest, producing 14 GW , but was surpassed in 2008 by the Three Gorges Dam in China at 22.5 GW .
However many run-of-the-river hydro power plants are micro hydro or pico hydro plants. Much hydropower is flexible, thus complementing wind and solar, as it not intermittent. [92] In 2021, the world renewable hydropower capacity was 1,360 GW. [73] Only a third of the world's estimated hydroelectric potential of 14,000 TWh/year has been developed.
In 2021, hydroelectric power produced 31.5% of the total renewable electricity, and 6.3% of the total U.S. electricity. [2] According to the International Hydropower Association, the United States is the 3rd largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world in 2021 after Brazil and China. [3] Total installed capacity for 2020 was 102.8 GW.
Inside the Robert-Bourassa generating station, in northern Quebec, the world's largest underground power station, with an installed capacity of 5,616 MW.. An underground power station is a type of hydroelectric power station constructed by excavating the major components (e.g. machine hall, penstocks, and tailrace) from rock, rather than the more common surface-based construction methods.