Hydro Power: a sustainable but sensitive Energy Alternative

-- a note from _kt75

Hydro power is considered one of the promising sustainable (because renewable) energy sources able to facilitate and guarantee a safe energy turnaround away from fossil energy carriers. Accordingly, hydro power industry is on the rise and a multitude of construction projects are either in the planning stage, in progress or already finished. However, as in any other case in addition to the technical dimension also hydro power has an environmental, an economic and a geo-political dimension which are closely interlinked [1]. Due to the ongoing pronounced and rather uni-directional promotion of alternative/renewable energy carriers (like hydro power) critical trade-offs and associated conflicts (whatever kind of) can create rather drastic situations and the actually sustainable nature of renewable energy carriers gets lost. In particular politically unstable, mainly developing regions are concerned [2]-[5]. Here, but also in so-called 'developed' regions a more farseeing position and action of the relevant stakeholders would be preferable. Interactive conflict maps may help understand where geo-political issues may appear [6], [7].
A turnaround in energy supply away from conventional fossil fuels (a complete exclusion most likely won't be possible and perhaps not necessary) towards renewable energy carriers requires a particular intuition of the local and regional conditions. In addition it appears obvious that a diversified energy portfolio is more sustainable than a portfolio concentrating only on a limited number of supply options [8]-[11].

Further readings: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]
Further kt75 | publications: [12]

Coming soon: Need for Speed? An independent Controversy on Sustainable Mobility. a kt75 | reflection

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